The Family Business
by Katherine997
Summary: Scarlett Winchester is Dean and Sam's half little sister. When she was 10, Sam left the hunting business and left her with her father, John and her older brother. Four years later, Dean and Scarlett went to get Sam, to look for their father.
1. 1-1 Pilot

After Dad disappeared, my older brother, Dean drove us both to my big brother Sam. What could have caused us trouble was breaking into his apartment - which is what we were doing. Dean opened the window of Sam's apartment.

"Dean, can't we just knock in the door?" I asked.

Dean rolled his eyes and scoffed, "No."

This time, I rolled my eyes. "Why not?" I questioned.

"Because it's not fun," He answered.

I rolled my eyes again. "I hope he will kick your ass," I mumbled.

Dean looked back at me. "Did you say something?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow.

I looked down, "Nothing," I mumbled. Dean nodded his head and climbed into the window. I did the same but much more quietly. Dean opened Sam's fridge and then closed it loudly. "Shh," I whispered. Suddenly, I heard footsteps walking towards us. Dean walked into another room, I followed behind but hide as I heard Sam come towards us. They had a little fight before Dean pinned Sam down.

"Whoa, easy, tiger," Dean told him.

"Dean?" Sam breathed out in disbelief and Dean just chuckled. "You scared the crap out of me."

"That's 'cause you're out of practice," Dean comment before Sam quickly pinned him down. I smiled and Dean chuckled again. "Or not. Get off of me," Dean said and Sam helped him up.

"Where's Scarlett?" Sam asked.

"Here I am," I said as I stepped out of my hiding spot and walked over to Dean. He ruffled my hair and I grunted at him annoyed.

"Hey Scar. Look at you, you look different," Sam told me.

"That because you left when I was 10 and haven't seen me sense," I pointed out.

"Sorry," Sam apologized softly.

Even though I was angry at him, I threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. I felt him wrapping his arms tightly around me, hugging me back. Then the lights turned on and I let go of Sam.

"Sam?" I heard a female voice. My head turned over and I saw a pretty girl. And obviously Dean thought the same.

"Jess. Hey," Sam said, his voice sounded slightly awkward and he swallowed. "Ah . . . Dean, Scarlett, this is my girlfriend, Jessica."

"Wait, Dean and Scarlett? As in your siblings?" Jessica asked and then smiled. Sam nodded as he put an arm around my shoulder.

Dean grinned, "Oh, I love the Smurfs. You know, I gotta tell you. You are completely out of my brother's league." I rolled my eyes on his attempt to flirt with our brother's girlfriend before I jammed in his rib with my elbow and he grunted in pain.

I smiled towards Jessica and waved, "Hi." She chuckled a little and waved back.

"Anyway, we gotta borrow your boyfriend here, talk about some private family business. But, uh, nice meeting you," Dean said to Jessica. I opened my mouth to say something to her.

"No." I looked at Sam and he unwrapped his arm from my shoulder and walked over to Jessica, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer to his side, "No, whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of her."

Dean and I looked at each other and then looked back at them. "Um. Dad hasn't been home in a few days," I informed.

"So he's working overtime on a Miller Time shift. He'll stumble back in sooner or later," Sam said.

Dean lowered his head, shaking his head before looking back up. "Dad's on a hunting trip," He informed coldly. "And he hasn't been home in a few days."

Sam didn't changed his expression as he was still looking at us. Jessica glanced up at Sam's face, clearly knowing something was happening that she didn't know. "Jess, excuse us. We have to go outside," Sam said, not breaking contact with Dean and me.

The three of us went down the stairs outside Sam's apartment. "I mean, come on. You can't just break in, middle of the night, and expect me to hit the road with you two," Sam said.

"You're not hearing us, Sammy," I said.

"Dad's missing. We need you to help us find him," Dean added.

"You remember the poltergeist in Amherst? Or the Devil's Gates in Clifton? He was missing then, too. He's always missing, and he's always fine," Sam snapped.

Dean stopped and turned around, making Sam and me to do the same. "Not for this long," Dean stated. "Now are you gonna come with us or not?"

"I'm not," Sam declared.

I frowned, "Why not?" I asked.

He looked at me, "I swore I was done hunting for good."

"Come on. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't that bad," Dean said before turning around and continued to walk.

"Yeah?" Sam asked, huffing as he followed him. I sighed and followed close behind. "When I told Dad I was scared of the thing in my closet, he gave me a .45."

Dean stopped and looked back at Sam, "Well, what was he supposed to do?" He asked.

Sam looked at him in disbelieve, "I was nine years old! He was supposed to say; 'Don't be afraid of the dark'."

Dean frowned, " _Don't be afraid of the dark?_ " He repeated in disbelieve. "Are you kidding me? Of course you should be afraid of the dark. You know what's out there."

"Yeah, I know," Sam agreed. "But still. The way we grew up, after Mom was killed, and Dad's obsession to find the thing that killed her. But we still haven't found the damn thing. So we kill everything we can find."

"We save a lot of people doing it, too," Dean stated. "You think Mom would have wanted this for us?" Sam asked Dean, but included me in it too when he glanced at me as well. Dean clenched his jaw and harshly opened the doors for the outside, where the Impala was parked. Sam followed out and I was close behind, "The weapon training, and melting the silver into bullets? I mean, we were raised like warriors. Hell, Scar still is," Sam said.

"So what?" I asked, making him look at me. "You're just gonna live some normal, apple pie life? Is that it?"

"No. Not normal. _Safe_ ," Sam said.

"And that's why you ran away," Dean comment. I crossed my arms across my chest, glancing down.

"I was just going to college," Sam defended himself. "It was Dad who said if I was gonna go I should stay gone. And that's what I'm doing."

"Yeah, well, Dad's in real trouble right now. If he's not dead already," I said. Sam looked between me and Dean.

"We can't do this alone," Dean said.

"Yes you can," Sam said.

"We don't want to," I said, staring at him. He looked at me for a moment before he sighed as he glanced down at the ground. He was quiet for a long moment before he looked back at me and Dean.

"What was he hunting?"

A smile slipped to my lips and I quickly hugged him. He chuckled and hugged me back as Dean opened the trunk of the Impala, then he reached out toward another handle and opened it. Revealing guns, knifes, everything. Dean pet the shotgun steadied to hold the handle. Sam and I pulled away from the hug and then he glanced around the weapons

He cleared his throat, "So when Dad left . . . why didn't you two went with him?" He asked curiously.

"We were working our own gig together," Dean started. "This, uh, voodoo thing, down in New Orleans."

Sam stared at Dean in disbelieve and he blinked a few times, "Dad let you take Scar on a hunting trip by yourself?"

Dean stopped searching before looking up at Sam. "Dude, I'm 26," He remarked. "I can take care of both of us."

Sam glanced at me with a small smirk as Dean went back to search, "Here we go," He said, pulling out the papers. He sighed and started to explain, "So Dad was checking out this two-lane blacktop just outside of Jericho, California." He handed Sam the papers, "About a month ago, this guy. They found his car, but he vanished. Completely MIA."

Sam looked at Dean before looking down at the papers on his hands, studying them. "So maybe he was kidnapped," He suggested, giving a small shrug.

"Yeah. Well, here's another one in April," Dean started. "Another one in December 04, 03, 98, 92, ten of them over the past 20 years. All men, all the same five-mile stretch of road. It started happening more and more, so Dad went to go dig around. That was about three weeks ago." He pulled out from the duffel bag the recorder, "We hadn't heard from him since, which is bad enough. Then we receive this voice mail."

" _Dean . . . Scar . . . something big is starting to happen . . . I need to try and figure out what's going on. It may . . . Be very careful you two. We're all in danger_."

Dean stopped the tape and we both stared at Sam. "You know there's EVP on that?" Sam stated, after a moment.

Dean smirked, "Not bad, Sammy. Kinda like riding a bike, isn't it?" He joked. Sam shook his head, giving a small chukle.

I hit Dean lightly and he chuckled. "I slowed the message down, ran it through a gold wave, took out the hiss, and this is what I got," I said and nodded to Dean to play it again.

" _. . . I can never go home . . ._ "

Dean stopped the tape once again and we looked back at Sam. "Never go home," Sam mumbled as if it replayed in his mind.

Dean tossed the recorder in the duffel bag. Taking the shotgun off and closing the hood afterward. "You know, in almost two years we never bothered you, never asked you for a thing," He said. Sam looked at me for a moment as I did the puppy eyes. He looked away and sighed, then looked back.

"All right. I'll go," He gave in. "I'll help you two find him." I smiled and Dean just nodded. "But I have to get back first thing Monday. Just wait here," He said, and he turned to go.

"What's first thing Monday?" I asked.

He looked back at me, "I have this . . . I have an interview," He replied.

"What, a job interview?" I asked with a frown.

"Skip it," Dean said, shrugging.

Sam gave him a look and rolled his eyes, "It's a law school interview, and it's my whole future on a plate."

"Law school?" Dean asked, frowning and he smirked.

"So we got a deal or not?" Sam asked. Dean smiled slightly, and gave a small shrug.

"Shotgun!" I shouted before I ran over the passenger side, and climbed in.

I closed the door and then locked it so Sam wouldn't get in. I heard Dean laughed and glanced outside to see Sam shaking his head with a small smile on his face before he walked back up to his apartment.


	2. 1-2 - Searching

It was morning when we finally made it into Jericho. Sam was going through the pile of cassettes in the front seat because he took it when I went to the bathroom. Dean walked back to the car with some food. "Hey!" He called and Sam looked up. "You two want breakfast?" Dean asked us.

"No, thanks," Sam said.

"Yes, please," I said. Dean gave me a bag of chips along with bottle of water.

"So how'd you pay for that stuff? You and Dad still running credit card scams?" Sam asked Dean.

"Yeah, well, hunting ain't exactly a pro ball career. Besides, all we do is apply. It's not our fault they send us the cards," Dean said.

"Yeah? And what names did you write on the application this time?" Sam asked before he swing his legs back inside the car and closes the door and so did I.

"Uh . . . Burt Aframian," Dean said. He climbed into the driver seat and put his soda and chips down before closing the door. "And his kids Hector and Charlotte. Scored three cards out of the deal."

Sam nodded, letting out a small laugh. "That sounds about right," He agreed before moving his eyes back to the box. He let out a sigh and shook his head before looking at our older brother, "I swear, man, you've gotta update your cassette tape collection."

Dean stared at him for a moment, a frown crossed to his face, "Why?" He asked, confused.

"Well, for one, they're cassette tapes," Sam pointed out. "And two, Black Sabbath? Motorhead? Metallica?"

Dean rolled his eyes, taking the box labeled Metallica from him. "It's the greatest hits of mullet rock."

I hold my laugh back so I don't get in trouble with Dean. "Scar - What's the house rules?" Dean asked me.

"Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole. So suck it up, Sammy," I told Sam.

Sam huffed as he turned to me, giving me a look, "You know, Sammy is a chubby 12 old," He said.

"So stop acting like one," I commented. Dean laughed and Sam scoffed before turning back.

"That's my girl," Dean said as he started to the engines. I smirked and we pulled out of the station.

... ...

After an hour or so, we finally reached a sign that read:

 **JERICHO 7**

Sam got off the phone after speaking to the hospital, looking for Dad. "All right," He started, letting out a sigh. "So, there's no one matching Dad at the hospital or morgue. So that's something, I guess."

We pulled up to a bridge with police officers all in front of it. "What now?" I asked, leaning forward.

"Sam and I will go there, you need to stay here this time," Dean said and I nodded. I leaned back and crawled down a little as Dean and Sam got out with they ID cards. I was waiting for them a few minutes and they later got back and we drove off.

... ...

After my brothers told me what they found out, we decided to go downtown to find the missing boy's girlfriend, Amy.

After we looked around, I soon spotted a girl putting pink flyers. "Hey, I bet you that's her," I said to Sam and Dean as I pointed to the girl.

"Yeah," Sam agreed as we walked over to her.

"You must be Amy," Dean said.

"Yeah," Amy said.

"Yeah, Troy told us about you. We're his cousins. I'm Dean, this is Sammy and this is Scar," Dean said.

"He never mentioned you to me," She said, frowning before she started to walk away and we followed.

"Well, that's Troy, I guess," Dean said.

"We're not around much, we're up in Modesto," I said.

"So, we're looking for him too, and we're kinda asking around," Sam said.

Some girl come up to Amy, "Hey, are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah," Amy said to her, giving her a small smile.

"Do you mind if we ask you a couple questions?" I asked Amy softly. Amy just nodded her head and lead us to a diner.

We went to a booth and I sat down between Dean and Sam while Amy and her friend sat down at the opposite side in front of us. "Can you tell us what happened?" I asked gently.

Amy took a deep breath before speaking, "I was on the phone with Troy. He was driving home. He said he would call me right back, and . . . he never did."

"He didn't say anything strange, or out of the ordinary?" Sam asked.

Amy shook her head, "No. Nothing I can remember," She replied.

I looked down at Amy's necklace, it was a pentagram in a circle. "I like your necklace," I said.

She reached to hold the pendant she was wearing, and looked down at it. "Troy gave it to me. Mostly to scare my parents," Amy informed and she chuckled a little, ". . . With all that devil stuff."

Me and Sam smiled a little. "Actually, it means just the opposite," Sam started. "A pentagram is protection against evil. Really powerful. I mean, if you believe in that kind of thing."

"Okay. Thank you, _Unsolved Mysteries_ ," Dean said sarcastically and leaned forward. "Here's the deal, ladies. The way Troy disappeared, something's not right. So if you've heard anything . . ."

Amy and her friend looked at each other. "What is it?" I asked, noticing their look.

"Well, it's just . . ." Her friend started nervously. "I mean, with all these guys going missing, people talk."

"What do they talk about?" Me and my brothers asked at the same time.

Amy and her friend looked at each other again and then back at us. "It's kind of this local legend . . . This one girl, she got murdered out on Centennial, like decades ago," Her friend informed. Dean glanced at me and Sam and then back. "Well, supposedly she's still out there. She hitchhikes, and whoever picks her up? Well, they disappear forever." With that information, Me, Dean and Sam shared a look. We knew where we needed to go; The library.

After we thanked the girls, we went to the library. I was reading some books that I picked up while Sam and Dean were doing the research. I saw that they had no luck so I decided to step in. "Let me try."

"Shhh," Dean shooed me with his hand. "I got it." I rolled my eyes before I grabbed his chair and pushed him out of my way. "Dude!" Dean whined as Sam laughed quietly.

"So angry spirits are born out of violent death, right?" I asked and they both nodded. "Then it wasn't a murder," I mumbled as I change Murder to suicide. I pressed enter, making it calculate. I pressed the one article and surfing through it. The report was created on _April 25th, 1981_. I looked at Dean and stuck my tongue out at him, and he pulled a face while Sam chuckled.

A local woman's drowning death was ruled a suicide, the county Sheriff's Department said earlier today. Constance Welch, 24, of 4636 Breckenridge Road, leapt off Sylvania Bridge, at mile 33 of Centennial Highway, and subsequently drowned last night.

 **Deputy J. Pierce told reporters that, hours before her death, Ms. Welch logged a call with 911 emergency services. In a panicked tone, Ms. Welch described how she found her two young children, 5 and 6, in the bathtub, after leaving them alone for several [minutes]. She reported that their complex-[. . .]  
**

 **What happened to my children was a terrible accident. And it must have been too much for my wife. Our babies were gone, and Constance just couldn't bear it," said husband Joseph Welch. "Now I ask that you all please respect my privacy during this trying time."**

 **At the time of the children's death and Ms. Welch's subsequent suicide, Mr. Welch was at the Frontier auto salvage yard, where he works the graveyard shift as associate manager.  
**

 **"Connie might have been quiet, but she was the sweetest, most caring girl I ever knew," said Deanna Kripke, a neighbor. "She just doted on those children."**

"This was 1981. Constance Welch, 24 years old, jumps off Sylvania Bridge, drowns in the river," I read.

"Does it say why she did it?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," I mumbled sadly.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Um . . . An hour before they found her, she calls 911. Apparently her two little kids are in the bathtub. She leaves them alone for a minute, and when she comes back, they aren't breathing. Both die," I informed.

"Hm," That was all Dean could say.

"'Our babies were gone, and Constance just couldn't bear it,' said husband Joseph Welch.'" Sam read.

"The bridge look familiar to you two?" Dean asked, pointing to the picture of the bridge and I nodded.

... ...

It was the middle of the night and we got to the bridge. Me, Sam and Dean looked over the railing. "So this is where Constance took the swan dive," Dean said.

"Do you think Dad would have been here?" I asked.

"Well, he's chasing the same story and we're chasing him," Dean replied as he put an arm around my shoulder and we walked.

"Okay, so now what?" Sam asked from behind us.

"Now we keep digging until we find him. Might take a while," Dean said.

"Guys, I told you." I glanced behind me to see Sam stopped. "I've gotta get back by Monday -"

"Monday. Right. The interview," Dean cut him off as he turned around.

"Yeah," Sam mumbled.

"Yeah, forgot about that," Dean said. "You're really serious about this, aren't you? You think you're just going to become some lawyer? Marry your girl?"

"Maybe. Why not?" Sam asked, shrugging.

Dean took his arm off my shoulder and I walked backwards a little, knowing this was going to end of a big fight. "Does Jessica know the truth about you? I mean, does she know about the things you've done?" Dean asked.

Sam glared at him, stepping closer. "No, and she's not ever going to know."

Dean gave a small chukle, "Well, that's healthy." He then licked his lips before shaking his head, "You can pretend all you want, Sammy. But sooner or later you're going to have to face up to who you really are." With that he turned around and keep walking.

Sam followed and I slowly followed too. "And who's that?" Sam chllanged.

"You're one of us," Dean said, throwing his arms up his sides. Sam rushed to get in front of Dean and they stopped.

"No. I'm not like you," Sam snarled. "This is not going to be my life. Look at Scarlett, this shouldn't be her life too! She's 14. What gonna happen when we can't protect her?"

I walked away a bit, glancing over my shoulder at my brothers. "If it weren't for pictures I wouldn't even know what Mom looks like," Sam said. "And what difference would it make? Even if we do find the thing that killed her, Mom's gone. And she isn't coming back."

All of a sudden, Dean grabbed Sam by the collar and shoved him up against the railing of the bridge. "Dean! Stop!" I yelled as I ran in.

Dean looked at me with a softened expression and then slowly looked back at Sam. "Don't talk about her like that," Dean said, slightly calm. After a moment, he let go of Sam and walked away but them froze. "Guys."

We looked up and saw Constance. She looked over at us, then stepped forward off the edge. We ran to the railing and looked over but saw nothing.

"Where'd she go?" Dean asked, searching the river.

"I don't know," Sam said. Then I heard the engine of the car. I turned my head to see the car turned on. Who was in the car?

"What the?" Dean asked, confused.

"Dean, who's driving your car?" I asked.

Without taking his eyes off, Dean pulled out the keys and jingled them. The tires of wheel squealed, coming straight toward us and it started picking up speed. "Run!" Sam yelled.

We all took off but the car sped up; We were going to be trapped. "Jump!" I yelled. And that's what we did; We jumped. I heard a splash down below me. I tried to grab the rail but my hand slipped and I screamed, starting to ready myself to hit the water.

But the impact didn't come. I looked up and saw Sam held onto the railing and then I realized he was holding my wrist. He started to pull up his arm and when I was high enough, I grabbed the railing. "You okay?" Sam asked and I nodded.

We looked down, to see Dean but he wasn't there. "Dean?" I called but there was no response.

"Dean?" Sam called as well but again nothing.

"Dean!" I screamed.

All of a sudden, a filthy and annoyed Dean crawled out of the water and onto the mud, panting. "What?!"

"Hey! Are you all right?" Sam asked as I sighed in relief.

Dean hold up one hand in an A-OK sign. "I'm super," He said sarcastically. Sam and I let out a laugh before we started to pull ourselves back to the bridge.

Once Dean got back up on the bridge, he checked me to see if I was okay and then he went to his car. He shut the hood of his car and leaned on it. "Your car all right?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, whatever she did to it, seems all right now. That Constance chick, what a bitch!" Dean called out into the night.

"Well, she doesn't want us digging around, that's for sure," I stated and then I cringed my nose in disgust before looking at Dean, "No offense, dude . . . but you smell like a toilet."

Dean glanced down at himself and I started to laugh with Sam joining me. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it out," Dean mumbled, huffing.

...

By the time we got to the nearest motel, it was already early in the morning. We walked to the motel and the clerk was shocked with Dean, who was still covered in the mud. He put down the credit card, "One room, please."

The clerk looked at the card before grabbing it, "You guys having a reunion or something?" He asked. I frowned and shared a glance with Sam before looking back at the man.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"I had another guy, Burt Aframian," The clerk replied. "He came and bought out a room for the whole month."

My eyes widened. Dad? Was he here? The three of us shared a glance before looking back at the clerk. "Um, can you tell us the number of the room?" I asked.

"23," The clerk replied.

"Can you give us the keys?" Dean asked.

The clerk frowned and shook his head, "Can't do that. You'll have to wait for him to come back."

I did the whole lock picking while Sam and Dean were doing the lookout. "Done," I said. I pushed the door open and we walked inside, looking around as we froze; Every vertical surface has papers pinned to it: maps, newspaper clippings, pictures, notes. There are books on the desk and assorted junk on the floor and bed, including something with a hazardous - materials symbol.

"Whoa," Sam breathed out before we walked around.

Dean turned on a light by the bed and picked up a half-eaten hamburger sitting there. He sniffed the burger and recoiled. "I don't think he's been here for a couple days at least," He informed.

Sam looked down to see a line of salt at the doorway and kneleed down. "Salt, cats -eye shells . . . he was worried," He said, running his fingers over the salt. "Trying to keep something from coming in."

He got up as Dean looked at the papers covering one wall. "What have you got here?" Sam asked.

"Centennial Highway victims," Dean replied. "I don't get it. I mean, different men, different jobs, ages, ethnicities. There's always a connection, right? What do these guys have in common?"

While Sam and Dean were trying to figure it out, I walked over to the other side of the room. I flicked on the lamp and saw bunch of articles and article on Constance's suicide, with a handwritten note pinned above it:

 _Woman In White_.

I scoffed, "Dad figured it out," I said out loud, making Sam and Dean to look over at me.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"He found the same article we did. Constance Welch. She's a woman in white," I replied as Sam walked over.

Dean looked back and scoffed, "You sly dogs."

Dean looked back at me and Sam, pointing a finger at us. "All right, so if we're dealing with a woman in white, Dad would have found the corpse and destroyed it," Dean said.

"She might have another weakness," Sam said.

"Well, Dad would want to make sure," Dean said as he walked up to us. "He'd dig her up. Does it say where she's buried?"

"No, not that I can tell. If I were Dad, though, I'd go ask her husband. If he's still alive," Sam said.

Dean nodded, "All right. Why don't you, uh, see if you can find an address, I'm gonna get cleaned up." With that he started to walk away.

"Hey, Dean?" Sam started and Dean turned around. "What I said earlier, about Mom and Dad, I'm sorry."

Dean holded up his hand, "No chick-flick moments," He said, making Sam and me to chuckle.

"All right. Jerk," Sam said.

"Bitch," Dean said and walked away as Sam chuckled again.

I looked around and found a picture on a mirror. It was Dad, Dean, Sam and me. Dad was sitting on the hood of the Impala, next to Dean who was wearing a baseball cap, me as two years old, sitting on Dean's lap and Sam was sitting on Dad's lap. I grabbed the picture and smiled sadly at the memory.

"What did you find?" Sam asked as he stood beside me. I showed him the picture and he smiled sadly as he wrapped his arm around me.


	3. 1-3 Constance

Sam was listening to his voicemail from his girlfriend while I was listening to music. Dean walked out of the bathroom, "Hey, guys. I'm starving, I'm gonna grab a little something to eat in that diner down the street. You two want anything?" He asked.

"No," Sam and I said at the same time.

"Aframian's buying," Dean said as he looked back at us. We both just shook our heads so Dean walked out.

After a few seconds, Sam's phone started to ring. "What, Dean?" Sam asked, annoyed. I smirked, shaking my head. I couldn't hear what Dean was saying on the phone, but Sam had my full attention when he stood up form the bed. "What about you?"

Then, he closed his phone and looked out the window. He turned around to me, "Scar, let's go," He said, pulling me to my feet and we rushed out of the room from the back.

... ...

After hearing Dean was caught and the cops took him, Sam and I decided to go to talk to Joseph Welch like he told us to do. We found where he was living and drive to his place. We climbed out of the car and went to knocked on the door. A man appeared and I knew it was the man we were looking for.

"Hi. Are you Joseph Welch?" Sam asked.

Joseph nodded, "Yeah," He conformed.

"Do you mind if we, uh, ask you a few questions," I asked. Joseph frowned at me but gave a nod.

The three of us walked to the junk-filled driveway. Sam was the first to asked a question, "Have you seen this guy?" He handed Joseph our picture and he nodded.

"Yeah, he was older," He replied and gave Sam the picture back. "He came by three or four days ago, said he was a reporter."

"That's right. We're working on a story together," Sam said.

"Well, I don't know what the hell kinda story you're working on. The questions he asked me?" Joseph said.

"About your late wife Constance?" I asked.

He nodded, "He asked me where she was buried."

"And where is that again?" Sam asked.

Joseph looked at the both of us, "What, I gotta go through this twice?" He asked.

"It's fact-checking. If you don't mind," I said.

Joseph sighed, "In a plot. Behind my old place over on Breckenridge," He replied. Sam and I nodded.

"Why did you move?" Sam asked.

"I'm not gonna live in the house where my children died," Joseph pointed out.

I looked down, for a brief moment. I stopped and Sam and Joseph did too. "Mr. Welch, did you ever marry again?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No way. Constance, she was the love of my life. Prettiest woman I ever known," He replied.

I smiled softly, "So you had a happy marriage?" I asked.

I saw him think about it, "Definitely."

He was hiding something but I didn't want to ask any further. "Well, that should do it. Thanks for your time," Sam said. He gave us a nod before Sam and I started to walk back to the car.

I bit my lower lip, I had to ask something that was bothering me. I stopped and quickly turned around to see Joseph was walking away from us back to the house, "Mr. Welch, did you ever hear of a woman in white?" I asked.

Joseph stopped abruptly, turning around, "A what?" He asked, clearly confused.

"A woman in white. Or sometimes weeping woman," Sam replied, clearly thinking the same as I was.

"It's a ghost story . . . Well, it's more of a phenomenon, really," I continued.

"They're spirits," Sam replied. "They've been sighted for hundreds of years, dozens of places, in Hawaii, Mexico, lately in Arizona, Indiana." He walked forward with each word. "All these are different women, you understand. But all share the same story."

Joseph crossed his arms across his chest, "I don't care much for nonsense," He said before turning back around.

"You see, when they were alive, their husbands were unfaithful to them, and these women, basically suffering from temporary insanity, murdered their children," I said.

Joseph turned around and Sam went on for me. "Then, once they realized what they had done, they took their own lives. So now their spirits are cursed, walking back roads, waterways. And if they find an unfaithful man, they kill him. And that man is never seen again."

The look on Joseph's face made me slightly regret what I said. "You think . . . you think that has something to do with . . . Constance, You smartass?" He asked.

"You tell me," Sam challenged.

Joseph shook his head slightly, "I mean, maybe . . . maybe I made some mistakes. But no matter what I did, Constance never would have killed her own children," He said, tears in his eyes. "Now, you get the hell out of here! And you don't come back." With one last glare at Sam, he turned around and walked away, this time we didn't stopped him.

... ...

After I called 911 and said that I heard gunshots down Whiteford Road, Sam and I were driving down the bridge when his phone suddenly rang. He answered the call and put it on speaker. " _How's Scar? She's with you?_ " Dean asked.

"She's here, she's fine," Sam replied.

" _So which one of you made the call?_ " Dean asked.

"Me," I said, grinning.

" _Fake 911 phone call? Scar, I don't know, that's pretty illegal_ ," Dean said sarcastically.

"You're welcome," I said and Sam smiled.

" _Listen, we gotta talk_ ," Dean said.

"Tell me about it. So the husband was unfaithful. We are dealing with a woman in white. And she's buried behind her old house, so that should have been Dad's next stop," Sam said.

" _Sammy, would you shut up for a second?_ " Dean said.

"I just can't figure out why they didn't destroyed the corpse yet," Sam said.

" _Well, that's what I'm trying to tell you. He's gone. Dad left Jericho_ ," Dean said.

"What? How do you know?" I asked.

" _I've got his journal_ ," Dean replied.

"He doesn't go anywhere without that thing," Sam said.

" _Yeah, well, he did this time_ ," Dean said.

Suddenly, I looked up to see Constance appeared on the road in front of us. "SAM!" I shouted. Sam looked up and slammed the brake, as he dropped the phone. The car got right through her as Sam brought it to a half.

"Scar, get out of the car," Sam said, cautiously.

"What?" I asked confused.

"Trust me," He replied. "Get out of the car. Now." I looked in the rearview mirror, and I saw Constance. I opened the door and slowly get out of the car.

"Take me home," I heard her say. "Take me home!"

"No," Sam said. Constance glared and my door shut and the doors lock themselves.

"Sam!" I yelled, and I tried to wrench the door open. I saw Sam struggled them too. Then the car begin to drive itself. "Sam! Sammy!" I yelled again.

I pulled out my phone and call Dean. " _Scarlett! Are you okay? What about Sam?_ " He asked.

"I'm fine. But Sam with Constance. I think she takes him to her house," I said.

" _Where are you?_ " Dean asked.

"On the bridge," I replied.

" _Stay in place, I'm coming_ ," Dean said and hung up.

Dean reached to the bridge quickly with a car and we drove to the house where Constance was buried and where she took Sam. We stopped next to abandoned house; Constance's house. Dean and I climbed out and went to the trunk.

We pulled our shotguns, and made our way toward the front, where we saw Constance on top of Sam. Her face was like a skeleton and she was hurting Sam. Dean suddenly shot first and Constance's ghost started flickering. Only to make her disappear for a while. "I'm taking you home," I heard Sam growl, and he turned the engine on and the Impala drive, crashing into the house.

"Sam!" Dean yelled and we ran toward the house.

"Sam!" I yelled.

"Here," Sam mumbled.

I smiled in relief, "You okay?" I asked.

"I think," He groaned.

"Can you move?" Dean asked as he opened the passenger door.

"Yeah. Help me," Sam asked.

Dean helped Sam out as I looked around the house, and I saw Constance. She picked up a photograph that had been thrown from the crash. It was a picture containing a family. It was Constance and her two children.

"Sam, Dean," I spoke, trying to get their attention. Which I did. She looked up and glared throwing the picture to the floor. Suddenly, a bureau came sliding down, pinning us all onto the Impala. The lights started flickering, the house didn't even have electricity anymore. Constance looked around confused. And so did we.

Water began to pour down the staircase, dripping through the sides. Constance looked up, her two children. " _You've come home to us, Mommy_ ," They said in an eerie, quiet voice. A distraught look appeared on her face. She backed up, and turned around only to be embraced by her children. Constance let out an ear- piercing scream, obviously in pain. Constance and her children fell into a puddle on the floor. We shoved the bureau away and we made our way toward the spot.

"So this is where she drowned her kids," Dean noted.

Sam nodded, "That's why she could never go home," He said.

"She was too scared to face them," I said and Sam nodded again.

"You found her weak spot. Nice work, Sammy," Dean said, giving him a good slap in the chest, where Constance had attacked him.

"Ah!" Sam laughed through the pain and I laughed at that.

"Yeah, I wish I could say the same for you. What were you thinking shooting Casper in the face, you freak?" Sam asked him.

"Hey. Saved your ass," Dean replied before looking at the car. "I'll tell you another thing. If you screwed up my car, I'll kill you." Sam and I looked at each other and chuckled.

After we finished the job, we drove down the road, leaving the town. Sam had Dad's journal open to a named 'DEAN 35-111' and a map open on his lap and was finding coordinates with a ruler, a flashlight tucked between chin and shoulder. "Okay, here's where Dad went. It's called Blackwater Ridge, Colorado."

"Sounds charming," Dean said sarcastically.

"How far?" I asked.

Sam looked back at the map, "Um . . . About 600 miles," He informed.

Dean nodded, "We could make it by morning," He said.

Sam looked up at our brother, "Dean, I, um . . ." Sam hesitantly spoke.

"You're not going," I replied sadly, knowing what he wanted to say.

"The interview's in like, ten hours. I gotta be there," Sam said softly.

Dean nodded, disappointed just as much as me, "Yeah. Yeah, whatever," He mumbled. He glanced at Sam but then fixed his eyes back on the road. "I'll take you home," He said. Sam looked over at me but I looked out the window.

... ...

After a little while of driving, I saw Sam's apartment coming up into view. Dean parked in front of it and Sam climbed out of the car before turning back, "Call me if you find him?" He asked and Dean nodded in response. "And maybe . . . I can meet up with you later, huh?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, all right," Dean said with a shrug. Sam glanced at me and then back before he patted the door, as a goodbye.

He turned around as I stared at him, fighting my tears of losing my brother again. "Sam," I called as I climbed out of the car and he turned around halfway. I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly, which he returned. "When I'm going to see you again?" I asked as I let go.

He smiled a little. "Soon," He said. I nodded slowly and looked down.

"Hey," Sam said. I looked up at him and a tear came down my cheek. He kneeled down in front of me.

"I'm going to miss you," I whispered.

Sam smiled sadly, "I'll miss you too," He said. "But I promise I will see you soon. I will also answer to your phone calls."

"Will you?" I asked.

"Yeah," He promised, placing his hand on my shoulder. It make me smile a bit and I hugged him again. I let go and climbed into the passenger seat. I looked at Sam as he got up.

"You know, the three of us . . . we made a hell of a team back there," Dean told him.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. Dean turned on the engine and we drove off.

Dean let out a sigh, "You okay?" He asked.

I nodded, "Yeah," I mumbled before I glanced down at my watch and noticed it didn't worked. "Hey, Dean," I said.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"My watch, it . . . stopped," I said. Dean looked at me and then slammed the brakes before he make a U-Turn.

We arrived at Sam's apartment and saw the apartment was filled with fire. Dean ran inside while I stayed near the car. After a few seconds, Dean got Sam outside and I ran forward. "What happened?" I asked, looking at Dean. "Where's Jessica?"

Sam had tears in his eyes and he dropped to the ground, sobbing. I looked back at Dean with a worried look. Dean shook his head, fighting his own tears,

" _She'_ _s dead_."


	4. 2-1 Wendigo

A week.

It's been a week since Jessie's death.

After what happened with Jessica, Dean and I decided to stay with Sam for a week at Stanford but after that the three of us decided to leave, continued the search for Dad together.

Sam was asleep in the back seat while I was in the passenger seat and Dean was in the driver seat. I was looking through the map when I suddenly heard Sam gasping as he woke up. I looked at him over my shoulder and saw him blinking a few times, looking around. "Hey, you okay?" I asked softly, making him look at me.

He gave a nod, "Yeah, I'm fine," He replied, giving me a small smile.

"Another nightmare?" Dean spoke up. Sam have been filled with nightmares ever since Jessie's death. Sam cleared his throat, trying to change the subject. "Want to drive for a while?" Dean suggested. Sam chuckled, giving him a look of disbelief as Dean looked at him from the mirror.

"In your whole life you never once asked me that," Sam stated.

"Just thought you might want to. Never mind," Dean muttered.

Sam let out a small sigh, "Look . . . you guys worried about me. I get it, and thank you, but I'm perfectly okay," He assured us.

"Mm-hm," I hummed, looking back to the front.

I looked back at the map, looking back at the coordinates, where I made a big X that pointed to the middle nowhere. "All right," Sam said and cleared his throat. "Where are we?"

"We are just outside of Grand Junction," I answered, not taking my eyes off of the coordinates. I frowned, I could be wrong about this but, I never do.

"You know what?" Sam wondered out loud. "Maybe we shouldn't have left Stanford so soon."

"Sam, we dug around there for a week," Dean noted. "We came up with nothing. If you wanna find the thing that killed Jessica -"

"We gotta find Dad first," Sam mumbled, cutting him off.

"Dad disappearing, and this thing showing up again after 20 years, it's no coincidence. Dad will have answers. He'll know what to do," Dean said.

Sam sighed and I finally looked over at my brother, "It's weird. These coordinates Dad left us. This Blackwater Ridge."

Dean glanced at me and then back at the road. "What about it?" He asked.

I looked around the location, "There's nothing there. It's just woods," I noted as Sam lean forward, looking down at the map in my hands. "Why is he sending us to the middle of nowhere?" I wondered out loud. Dean looked back at me and shrugged as he looked back at the road.

Right then, we went past a sign saying ' _Welcome to lost Creek Colorado_ '. We arrived at what appeared to be the Ranger Station. We went inside and looked around the small station. "So Blackwater Ridge is pretty remote," Sam said as he and I looked at a 3D map of the national forest, we paying particular attention to the ridge labeled 'BLACKWATER RIDGE'. "It's cut off by these canyons here, rough terrain, dense forest, abandoned silver and gold mines all over the place."

"Guys, check out the size of this freaking bear," Dean muttered. Sam and I looked over and saw him looking at a picture. We walked over and looked at it, there was a man with a big dead bear.

"And a dozen or more grizzlies in the area. It's no nature hike, that's for sure," I said, making my brothers to nod their heads.

"You three aren't planning on going out near Blackwater Ridge by any chance?" A male voice asked behind us and we turned around to a Ranger.

"Oh, no, sir, we're environmental study majors from UC Boulder, just working on a paper," Sam said.

"Recycle, man," Dean said.

"Bull," The Ranger said. My eyes wide and Sam and I looked at each other and then back to the Ranger. "You're friends with that Haley girl, right?" The Ranger asked. I closed my eyes, letting out a small sigh.

"Yes. Yes, we are, Ranger . . . Wilkinson," Dean replied.

"Well I will tell you exactly what we told her. Her brother filled out a backcountry permit saying he wouldn't be back from Blackwater until the twenty-fourth, so it's not exactly a missing persons now, is it?" Ranger Wilkinson said and Dean shook his head. "Tell that girl to quit worrying, I'm sure her brother's just fine."

"We will," Dean assured and then licked his lips before letting out a small smirk, "Well that Haley girl's quite a pistol, huh?"

"That is putting it mildly," Ranger Wilkinson answered, letting out a small chuckle.

"Actually you know what would help is if I could show her a copy of that backcountry permit," Dean said. "You know, so she could see her brother's return date."

Surprisingly, that worked. As we headed out, Dean laughed in victory and I shook my head. "What, are you cruising for a hookup or something?" Sam asked annoyed.

Dean looked over at him with a small frown, "What do you mean?" He asked.

"The coordinates point to Blackwater Ridge," Sam stated. "So what are we waiting for? Let's just go find Dad. I mean, why even talk to this girl?"

The three of us stopped next to the Impala. Dean gave a small shrug, "I don't know, maybe we should know what we're walking into before we actually walk into it?" He said.

I stared at Sam, frowning and I knew he felt my eyes on him. He clenched his jaw and looked at me, "What?" He asked, irritated.

I gave him a look, "Since when are you all shoot first ask questions later, anyway?" I questioned.

This time, he gave me a look, "Since now," He declared and with that he climbed into the passenger seat. Dean and I looked at each other and I huffed.

"Really?" Dean asked no one before we both climbed into our seats.

After we found Haley's house, Dean pulled the car at the front. He turned to me, "Stay here," He ordered. I nodded and after they both climbed out of the car with their ID, I let out a sigh and then watched them walking to the house.

 **Third Person POV**

Scarlett looked out the window as Sam and Dean walked to the door. Dean knocked on the door. A young girl opened the door and looked between the brothers. "You must be Haley Collins. I'm Dean, this is Sam, we're, ah, we're rangers with the Park Service. Ranger Wilkinson sent us over. He wanted us to ask a few questions about your brother Tommy," Dean said.

Haley hesitated. "Lemme see some ID," She said. Dean pulled out a fake ID with the name 'Samuel Cole' and hold it up. Haley looked at it, then at Dean, who smiled.

Haley opened the door. "Come on in," She said.

"Thanks," Dean said. The door swing open; Haley caught a sight of the Impala and Scarlett.

"That yours?" Haley asked about the car.

"Yeah," Dean said with a smile. Sam was looking back at the Impala and his little sister, who looked a bit bored inside the car.

"Nice car," Haley complimented and she looked at Scarlett. "Who's the little girl?" She asked. Dean and Sam looked back Scarlett.

Sam looked at Haley, "My little sister," Sam said and Dean nodded.

"Why is she in the car? She can come in too," Haley said. Sam and Dean looked at each other a moment, then Sam looked back at Scarlett and sign with his hand to come.

Scarlett got out of the car and ran over to them. Sam put his arms around her shoulders as Haley smiled at the girl. "Hey," Haley said.

"Hello," Scarlett said with a smile.

"Come in," Haley said. She led Scarlett, Sam and Dean into the kitchen.

 **Scarlett POV**

"So if Tommy's not due back for a while, how do you know something's wrong?" Sam asked.

Haley come back into the room with a bowl she placed on the table. "He checks in every day by cell. He emails, photos, stupid little videos . . . we haven't heard anything in over three days now," Haley said.

"Well, maybe he can't get cell reception," Sam suggested.

"He's got a satellite phone, too," Haley said.

"Could it be he's just having fun and forgot to check in?" Dean suggested.

"He wouldn't do that," Haley's little brother, Ben, said.

Dean eyed on Ben and Ben looked away.

Haley put more food on the table, "Our parents are gone. It's just my two brothers and me. We all keep pretty close tabs on each other."

"Can we see the pictures he sent you?" I asked.

Haley nodded, "Yeah."

On Haley's laptop, Haley pulled up pictures. "That's Tommy," Haley said. Haley clicked twice and another picture come up, then the still frame opening the latest video.

" _Hey Haley, day six, we're still out near Blackwater Ridge. We're fine, keeping safe, so don't worry, okay? Talk to you tomorrow,_ " Tommy said.

I spotted a shadow flicking past and I frowned. Sam and I looked at each other that we saw the same thing. "Well, we'll find your brother. We're heading out to Blackwater Ridge first thing," Dean said.

"Then maybe I'll see you there," Haley said. Me and my brothers gave her the same look of confusion. "Look, I can't sit around here anymore. So I hired a guy. I'm heading out in the morning, and I'm gonna find Tommy myself," She said.

"I think I know how you feel," Dean said.

"Hey, do you mind forwarding these to me?" Sam asked.

"Sure," Haley said.


	5. 2-2 Shadow

I sat on the hood of the car with Sam's laptop, some papers and Dad's journal. Sam and Dean walked out of a bar and I looked up at them. "Hey," Sam called as he and Dean walked over to me. "Did you find something?"

"Um . . . Blackwater Ridge doesn't get a lot of traffic. Local campers, mostly. But still, this past April, two hikers went missing out there. They were never found," I informed before opening Dad's journal.

"Any before that?" Dean asked.

I pulled out newspaper articles and showed it to my brothers. "Yeah, in 1982, eight different people all vanished in the same year. Authorities said it was a grizzly attack," I informed. "And again in 1959 and again before that in 1936."

Sam sat next to me as I used his laptop again. "Every 23 years, just like clockwork. Okay. Watch this. Here's a clincher. I downloaded that guy Tommy's video to the laptop. Check this out," I said. Dean stood at my side as I pulled up the video and then went through three frames of the video one at a time; A shadow crossed the screen.

Dean frowned, leaning forward, "Do it again."

I repeated the frames and looked at Dean, "That's three frames. That's a fraction of a second. Whatever that thing is, it can move," I stated.

Dean reached his hand from behind me, hitting Sam on the shoulder, causing him to look over at our older brother. "Told you something weird was going on," Dean said.

"Yeah," Sam mumbled as I closed the laptop.

"I got one more thing," I started and handed Sam another newspaper article. "In 'fifty-nine one camper survived this supposed grizzly attack. Just a kid. Barely crawled out of the woods alive." I watched Sam and Dean reading the 'The Lost Creek Gazette'.

"Is there a name?" Dean asked and looked at me.

I nodded, "Yeah."

... ...

After reaching to the house, an old man, Mr. Shaw, lead me, Sam and Dean inside his house. Mr. Shaw had a cigarette in his mouth, "Look, I don't know why you're asking me about this," He said. "It's public record. I was a kid. My parents got mauled by a -"

"Grizzly?" Sam cut him off and the old man looked at him. "That's what attacked them?"

Mr. Shaw took a puff of his cigarette, he pulled it out, and then nodded. "The other people that went missing that year, those bear attacks too?" Dean asked. He didn't say anything, just kept staring at each of us. "What about all the people that went missing this year? Same thing?" Dean continued.

He still didn't spoke and Dean let out a silence sigh. "We knew what we were dealing with . . . we might be able to stop it," Dean said.

Mr. Shaw let out a small chuckle, "I seriously doubt that," He said. "Anyways, I don't see what difference it would make." He sat down on his chair, shaking his head, "You wouldn't believe me. Nobody ever did."

"Mr. Shaw . . . what did you see?" I asked softly.

The old man's eyes shifted to meet mine, "Nothing," He said and then swallowed. "It moved too fast to see. It hid too well. I heard it, though. A roar. Like . . . no man or animal I ever heard."

"It came at night?" Sam asked gently. Mr. Shaw nodded, looking at him. "Got inside your tent?" Sam asked.

"It got inside our _cabin_ ," Mr. Shaw corrected. Dean and I exchanged a glance before looking back at the older man.

"I was sleeping in front of the fireplace when it came in. It didn't smash a window or break the door. It _unlocked_ it." He looked at each of us with a confused look, "Do you know of a bear that could do something like that?" He shook his head, "I didn't even wake up till I heard my parents screaming."

"It killed them?" I asked gently.

He looked down at the floor, nodding, "Dragged them off into the night," He said and then shook his head. "Why it left me alive . . . been asking myself that ever since." He removed his collar, "Did leave me this, though." He showed us a nasty looking scar. It went from his shoulder down. No bear could do that. "There's something evil in those woods. It was some sort of a demon."

After that, we thanked him and walked down the hallway, "Spirits and demons don't have to unlock doors. If they want inside, they just go through the walls," Dean noted.

"So it's probably something else," Sam said, "Something -"

" _Corporeal_ ," I cut him off. "Something corporeal."

Sam nodded as he smiled at me proudly. "That's right," He agreed.

Dean scoffed, shaking his head. "Corporeal?" He repeated, mockingly, causing me to hit him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, professors."

Sam rolled his eyes on him, "Shut up," He said.

"So what do you think?" I asked.

"The claws, the speed that it moves . . . could be a skinwalker, maybe a black dog," Sam listed.

"Whatever we're talking about, we're talking about a creature, and it's _corporeal_ ," Dean said and let out a small smirk, "Which means we can kill it."

We walked back to the Impala and Dean opened the trunk, then the weapons box, and prop it open with a shotgun. He put some guns in the duffel bag and Sam leaned forward, staring at him, "We cannot let that Haley girl go out there."

"Oh yeah? What are we gonna tell her?" Dean asked. "That she can't go into the woods because of a big scary monster?"

"Yeah," Sam said and we looked at him with a frown on our faces.

"Her brother's missing, Sam," I said.

"Yeah, she's not gonna just sit this out. Now we go with her, we protect her, and we keep our eyes peeled for our fuzzy predator friend," Dean said as he hold the bag.

"Finding Dad's not enough?" Sam snarled before he slammed the weapons box shut, then the trunk and shot us both a look. "Now we gotta babysit too?"

Dean and I stared at him. "What?" Sam asked.

"Nothing," Dean and I said at the same time. Dean throw the duffel bag at Sam.

"Come on," Dean said to me as he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and we walked off with Sam following close behind.

...

We headed off into the woods early in the morning. I saw Haley and Ben with some other guy, who probably the guide. We parked the car and climbed out. "Hey Haley," I said with a smile.

Haley smiled at me, "Hey," She said as me and my brothers walked over to them.

"You guys got room for three more?" Dean asked.

"Wait, you want to come with us?" Haley asked, shocked.

"Who are these people?" The guide asked.

"Apparently Roy, those two boys, is all the park service could muster up for the search and rescue," Haley told him over her shoulder. Sam wrapped an arm around me and we walked past everyone.

"You're rangers?" The guide, Roy asked.

"That's right," Dean replied.

"And the girl?" He asked, nodding his head to my direction.

"My sister," Sam spoke.

"She won't be a trouble," Haley said before turning to Dean with a raising eyebrows, "But . . . you're hiking out in biker boots and jeans?"

Dean glanced down at himself and then looked back at her, shrugging, "Well, sweetheart, I don't do shorts," He comment and with that he headed past Haley.

"What, you think this is funny? It's dangerous back country out there. Her brother might be hurt," Roy said to him. Sam and I looked at each other and then back at them.

Dean gave him a look, "Believe me, I know how dangerous it can be. We just wanna help them find their brother, that's all," He said honestly and with that he walked over to me and Sam.

... ...

We went hiking for hours through the forest, it didn't really bother much. Roy was in the lead, then Dean, Haley, Ben, me and Sam. "So Roy . . . you said you did a little hunting," Dean said.

"Yeah, more than a little," Roy said.

"Uh-huh. What kind of furry critters do you hunt?" Dean asked.

"Mostly buck, sometimes bear," Roy said. I saw Dean passing Roy.

"Tell me, uh, Bambi or Yogi ever hunt you back?" Dean joked.

All of a sudden, Roy grabbed Dean's shoulder and tug him back roughly, causing us all to froze. "Whatcha doing, Roy?" Dean challenged.

Roy grabbed a stick and poked it into the ground. It was a bear trap and Dean almost stepped in. Roy had a small smirk on his face as he looked back at Dean, "You should watch where you're stepping . . . _Ranger_."

Roy dropped the stick and retake the lead. Dean chuckled and looked at us, "It's a bear trap." Sam grabbed the duffel bag again as Haley and Ben walked behind Dean. Sam wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me so I will be in front of him.

Haley catched up to Dean, "You didn't pack any provisions. You guys are carrying a duffel bag. You're not rangers," She said and grabbed Dean's arm, "So who the hell are you?"

Ben walked past them, leaving Sam and I with them. We looked at Dean, who meet our eyes and nodded his head that we go on. Sam and I walked up ahead, leaving them behind.

 **Third Person POV**

Dean watched Scarlett and Sam go up ahead for a moment before looked back at Haley and sighed. "Scarlett, Sam and I are siblings, and we're looking for our father. He might be here, we don't know. I just figured that you and me, we're in the same boat," Dean confessed.

"Why didn't you just tell me that from the start?" Haley asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I'm telling you now," Dean said and then swallowed. "So we okay?"

Haley stared at him, thinking, "Yeah, okay," She said.

Dean gave a small nod before letting a frown came to his face, "And what do you mean I didn't pack provisions?" He pulled out a big bag of peanut M&Ms and stick his hand in the bag as he hiking on. Haley watched him walking past her before she waited a moment and then followed.

 **Scarlett POV**

We walked further and further into the forest, until finally Roy stopped. "This is it. Blackwater Ridge," He informed.

"What coordinates are we at?" Sam asked.

Roy pulled out a GPS, "Thirty-five and minus one-eleven," He replied. Me and Dean walked over to Sam and we listened.

"You hear that?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Sam said. "

Not even crickets," I confirmed.

"I'm gonna go take a look around," Roy said.

"You shouldn't go off by yourself," I said.

Roy smiled, "That's sweet, kid. Don't worry about me," He said before waving his gun and pushed between Sam and me to retake the lead.

I rolled my eyes and huffed. He was really pissing me off. Sam put his hand on my shoulder as Dean turned back to Ben and Haley, "All right, everybody stays together. Let's go."

We started to walk again, following Dean. Roy obviously went ahead but suddenly, his voice called out, "Haley! Over here!"

Haley ran towards Roy's voice, followed closely by us. "Oh my God," She said. My eyes grew wide at the sight; Tents were torn open and bloody and all the supplies were scattered.

"Looks like a grizzly," Roy said.

This wasn't a grizzly.

We looked around. "Tommy?" Haley called out. She took off her backpack and got through the campsite. "Tommy!" She called out again. Sam and I walked over to her.

"Shh," Sam whispered.

"Tommy!" She called again.

"Shh-hh-hh," I whispered.

"Why?" Haley asked.

"Something might still be out there," Sam said.

"Sam! Scar!" Dean called out.

Sam and I walked over to Dean to see he was crouched down at the ground. Sam and I crouched next to him in both of his sides. "The bodies were dragged from the campsite. But here, the tracks just vanish. That's weird," Dean informed before we stood up again, "I'll tell you what, that's no skinwalker or black dog."

Dean walked back to the campsite and me and Sam followed. I saw Haley pick up a cell phone. It was bloody and I knew it was belong to her brother when she started to cry. Dean went over to her and I walked over to Sam.

Suddenly a scream of a man come out, " _Help! Help!_ " We all ran toward the direction of the noise.

" _Help! Somebody!_ "

We all stopped and looked around. It was coming from all directions. "It seemed like it was coming from around here, didn't it?" Haley asked.

I swallowed, and my eyes grew wide, "Everybody back to camp!" I ordered.

We ran back to the camp and saw our stuff were gone. "Our packs!" Haley said.

"So much for my GPS and my satellite phone," Roy grumbled.

"What the hell is going on?" Haley snapped.

"It's smart. It wants to cut us off so we can't call for help," Sam said as he looked around.

"You mean someone, some nutjob out there just stole all our gear," Roy said.

I looked around; I knew what it was. I walked over to Sam and Dean. "I need to talk with you two. In private."

Me, Sam and Dean headed a little away from the group. "Let me see Dad's journal," I said to Dean. He handed it over and I opened it, flipping through until I found the page I was looking for.

 _The Wendigos._

"All right, look at this," I said as I gave it to my brothers.

Dean scoffed and looking at me, "Oh come on, Scar, wendigos are in the Minnesota woods or . . . or northern Michigan. I've never even heard of one this far west."

"Think about it, Dean, the claws, the way it can mimic a human voice," Sam listed, clearly agreeing with me.

"Great," Dean comment and took out his pistol. "Well then this is useless."

I gave Dean back dad's journal. "We gotta get these people to safety," Sam said and we walked back to the camp.

"All right, listen up, it's time to go. Things have gotten . . . more complicated," Sam said.

"What?" Haley asked, confused.

"Kid, don't worry. Whatever's out there, I think I can handle it," Roy said.

"It's not me I'm worried about. If you shoot this thing, you're just gonna make it mad. We have to leave. Now," Sam demanded.

"One, you're talking nonsense. Two, you're in no position to give anybody orders," Roy snarled.

"Relax," Dean told him.

"We never should have let you come out here in the first place, all right? I'm trying to protect you," Sam said.

"You protect me? I was hunting these woods when your mommy was still kissing you good night," Roy said as he stepped closer to Sam.

"Yeah?" Sam challenged. "It's a damn near perfect hunter. It's smarter than you, and it's gonna hunt you down and eat you alive unless we get your stupid sorry ass out of here."

Roy gave a sick laugh, "You know you're crazy, right?"

"Yeah?" Sam challenged, "You ever hunt a Wen -"

Dean cut him off by pushing him a bit far from Roy. "Roy!" Haley warned.

"Chill out," Dean told Sam.

"Stop. Stop it. Everybody just stop," Haley snapped and then took a deep breath before she continued, "Look . . . Tommy might still be alive. And I'm not leaving here without him."

Everyone stood silent, until Dean spoke up, "It's getting late. This thing is a good hunter in the day, but an unbelievable hunter at night. We'll never beat it, not in the dark. We need to settle in and protect ourselves."

Haley gave a small nod and swallowed, "How?"

... ...

We had built a campfire as night started to fall down, it was dark already when Dean draw Anasazi symbols in the dirt around the campsite while Haley poked at the fire, "One more time, that's a . . ."

"Anasazi symbols. It's for protection. The wendigo can't cross over them," Dean explained. Roy laughed with a gun over his shoulder.

"Nobody likes a skeptic, Roy," I snapped, rolling my eyes on him. Dean wrapped an arm around my shoulder and we both walked over to Sam, who was at the edge of the campsite, sitting on a log. We set in both of his sides.

"You wanna tell us what's going on in that freaky head of yours?" Dean asked.

Sam let out a small sigh, "Guys -"

"No, you're not fine," Dean cut him off. "You're like a powder keg, man, it's not like you."

Sam sighed again, looking around, "Dad's not here," He mumbled and looked at Dean and then at me before back, "I mean, that much we know for sure, right? He would have left us a message, a sign, right?"

"Yeah, you're probably right. Tell you the truth, I don't think Dad's ever been to Lost Creek," Dean admitted. I put my head on Sam's shoulder and sighed.

"Then let's get these people back to town and let's hit the road. Go find Dad," Sam said. "I mean, why are we still even here?"

"This is why," Dean said before he come around to the front and hold up Dad's journal as he crouched down. "This book . . . This is Dad's single most valuable possession - everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. And he's passed it on to us. I think he wants the three of us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things. _The family business_."

Sam shook his head, "That makes no sense," He said.

"You know something . . . Why doesn't he just call us? Why doesn't he tell us what he wants, tell us where he is?" I asked.

Dean sighed, "I dunno. But the way I see it, Dad's giving us a job to do, and I intend to do it," He said.

Sam shook his head, holding back his tears, "Dean . . . no. I gotta find Dad. I gotta find Jessica's killer. It's the only thing I can think about," He confessed.

Dean nodded and spoke up, "Okay, all right, we'll find them, I promise. Listen to me. You've gotta prepare yourself. I mean, this search could take a while, and all that anger, you can't keep it burning over the long haul. It's gonna kill you. You gotta have patience, man."

Sam looked down and then he looked at me for a moment as I still had my head on his shoulder. He gave me a small smile and I returned and then he looked at Dean. "How do you guys do it? How does Dad do it?"

I looked over at Haley and Ben. "Well for one, them," I started. Dean and Sam looked over at them and I continued to talk, "I mean, our family's so screwed to hell, maybe we can help some others. Makes things a little bit more bearable."

Dean nodded and looked back at Sam. "I'll tell you what else helps," He said as Sam looked back at him. "Killing as many evil sons of bitches as I possibly can.

Sam smiled and looked at me, making me smile as well. But the moment blown up by a twig snapping. " _Help me! Please!_ " We all stood up and Dean readies his gun. " _Help!_ "

Sam and I shined our flashlights. "He's trying to draw us out. Just stay cool, stay put," Dean said.

"Inside the magic circle?" Roy mocked. I rolled my eyes but ignored him.

" _Help! Help me!_ " Suddenly the cries was replaced by growling.

Roy pointed his gun at the sound, "Okay, that's no grizzly."

Haley was talking to Ben, pulling him closer to her as possible, "It's okay. You'll be all right, I promise."

Something rushed past and Haley shrieked. "It's here," I informed.

Roy shoot at the rustling, then again. "I hit it!" He said and ran to see what he hit.

"Roy, no! Roy!" Dean yelled. He turned to me, Haley and Ben. "Don't move. Scar stay with them," Dean ordered before he and Sam ran after Roy.

Haley pulled me to her and Ben and she wrapped her arms around us tightly. "Roy! Roy!" I heard my brothers calling for him. But I already knew what happened;

 _Roy is dead._


	6. 2-3 Killing The Wendigo

The next morning, I sat under a tree, holding Dad's journal and playing with a lanyard attached to it. I was right about Roy; We didn't find his body but we knew he was dead. Although he was an asshole, he didn't deserve it. No one does. I looked up, seeing Dean, Haley and Ben were among the tents. Sam walked over to me and sat next to me.

"You okay?" He asked. I nodded slowly, not making eye contact. I sighed and spoke quietly, "What about you?" I asked. Sam smiled slightly, "I'm fine, don't worry," He said. "You're my big brother. Of course I'm worried about you, we take care of each other," I said. Sam smiled, "Yeah."

I smirked at him. "Wanna make a bet?" I asked. Sam looked at me and smirked back, "What bet?" I looked over at Dean and Haley and them back at Sam, "I bet that Haley will kiss Dean after we finish this job," I said. "I bet on the cheek," Sam said. "I bet on the lips," I said with a smile. Sam chuckled. "20 bucks?" He asked as he hold his hand to me. I smirked and shook his hand, "20 bucks."

We looked back at the others. "I don't . . . I mean, these types of things, they aren't supposed to be real," Haley said. "I wish I could tell you different," Dean said. Sam and I walked over to them. "How do we know it's not out there watching us?" Haley asked. "We don't, but we're safe for now," I reassured.

Haley stared at each of us, "How do you guys know about this stuff?" She asked. Me and my brothers looked at each other before looking back at her and I spoke, "Kind of runs in the family."

"So we've got half a chance in the daylight," Sam said. Haley and Ben stood up as Sam continued to talk, "And I for one want to kill this evil son of a bitch."

"Well, hell, you know we in," Dean said, for the two of us.

Sam show the wendigo page of dad's journal to Haley and Ben. "'Wendigo' is a Cree Indian word. It means 'evil that devours'," Sam explained and Dean continued, "They're hundreds of years old. Each one was once a man. Sometimes an Indian, or other times a frontiersman or a miner or hunter."

"How's a man turn into one of those things?" Haley asked as I picked a couple things up off the ground. "Well, it's always the same. During some harsh winter a guy finds himself starving, cut off from supplies or help. Becomes a cannibal to survive, eating other members of his tribe or camp," I explained. "Like the Donner Party," Ben spoke up.

"Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities. Speed, strength, immortality," Sam said. "If you eat enough of it, over years, you become this less than human thing. You're always hungry," Dean said. "So if that's true, how can Tommy still be alive?" Haley asked. Me and my brothers exchanged looks and Dean looked back at Haley, "You're not gonna like it."

"Tell me," Haley demanded. "More than anything, a wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates for years at a time, but when it's awake it keeps its victims alive. It, uh, it stores them, so it can feed whenever it wants. If your brother's alive, it's keeping him somewhere dark, hidden, and safe. We gotta track it back there," Dean said.

"And then how do we stop it?" Haley asked. "Well, guns are useless, so are knives. Basically . . ." I said as I hold up the can of lighter fluid, the beer bottle, and the white cloth I picked up, "We gotta torch the sucker."

... ...

Dean lead the way through the woods, Haley, Ben, me and Sam followed. I had the Molotov cocktail, holding it tightly as we passed trees with claw marks and blood. But this wasn't normal. It wouldn't be found so easily. I stopped walking, "Guys," I called, making they all to come to a stop.

I looked around at the trees, there were bloody claw marks and broken branches everywhere. Sam and Dean walked over to me. "What is it?" Dean asked before looking around with Sam.

"You know, I was thinking, those claw prints, so clear and distinct," I noted. "They were almost too easy to follow." All of a sudden, we all heard growling.

We looked around to see where it was coming from. Then I noticed something dripping into Haley's shirt. Blood. Haley glanced down at her shirt as well and then screamed and moved away, falling into the ground. We saw Roy's body falling to the ground, where Haley stood. Sam and I helped Haley up while Dean examined Roy.

"His neck's broke," Dean informed. Suddenly, we heard the same growling again. "Okay, run, run, run, run, go, go, go!" Dean ordered as he grabbed my free hand and Haley's before we all took off. Me, Dean and Haley stop short and the wendigo was in front of us. Haley's scream was the last thing that I heard.

 **Third Person POV**  
Sam and Ben ran over to the scream. "Haley?" Ben called. The two got to the spot but Scarlett, Dean and Haley were gone. Sam spotted a broken bottle. He picked it up and realizes that it's the Molotov cocktail that Scarlett made. Sam looked around with wide eyes, "Scarlett! Dean!"

... ...

Sam and Ben were walking. "If it keeps its victims alive, why would it kill Roy?" Ben asked. Sam shrugged. "Honestly? I think because Roy shot at it, pissed it off," Sam replied. He stopped and Ben looked up ahead and find a trail of peanut M&Ms. He picked one up, "They went this way," Ben informed as he looked at Sam.

Sam walked over to him. Ben handed over the M&M that he was holding. Sam chuckled. "It's better than breadcrumbs," Sam said and he tossed the M&M away.

Sam and Ben followed the trail. They come to a mine entrance marked with a sign that says ' **WARNING! DANGER! DO NOT ENTER EXTREMELY TOXIC MATERIAL.** ' Sam looked at Ben. He shrugged and got inside with Ben following behind. Above the entrance is a larger sign that says ' **KEEP OUT NO ADMITTANCE.** '

Sam shined his flashlight ahead of him and Ben. Then they heard the same growling. Sam shut off the light and pulled Ben against the wall. The wendigo come towards them and Sam covered Ben's mouth before he could scream. The wendigo took a different tunnel at the crossing. Then Sam and Ben kept going. The floorboards creaked and Ben and Sam fall through the floor; they land in a pile of bones.

There was another pile nearby of skulls. Ben spotted them and leaped backward. "Hey, it's okay, it's okay, it's okay," Sam reassured. They both looked up and saw Scarlett, Dena and Haley were hanging by their wrists from the ceiling. Sam ran over to Scarlett and Dean "Scar. Dean," Sam whispered. Ben ran over to Haley, "Haley, wake up," Ben said.

Sam grabbed both Scarlett and Dean and shook them. "Scar. Dean," Sam whispered again. They both opened their eyes. "Hey, you guys okay?" Sam asked, letting out a sigh. Scarlett let out a small whimper. Sam spotted blood on her shirt and he lift it over her stomach, showing scratch. "Hey, you okay little sis?" Dean asked. "Yeah," Scarlett said quietly. "Haley, Haley, wake up, wake up," Ben said and Haley wake up.

Sam cut Dean and Scarlett down and Ben took care of Haley. They help them over to an empty patch of floor and get them sat down. Dean and Scarlett make pained noises. Sam took care of Scarlett's wound. "You sure you're all right?" Sam asked Dean. "Yeah. Yep. Where is he?" Dean asked. "He's gone for now," Sam replied.

Haley divests herself of the rope. She stood up and spotted Tommy who was still hanging and she started to cry. "Tommy . . ." She whispered. Haley touched Tommy's cheek. Tommy's head jerked up and Haley jumped back and shrieked.

"Sammy, cut him down," Scarlett said. Sam cut Tommy down and Ben and Haley hold him. "We're gonna get you home," Haley said. The stolen supplies were piled in the corner. Dean picked up flare guns. "Check it out," He said. "Flare guns. Those'll work," Scarlett said. Sam and Scarlett grinned. Dean chuckled and twirls the guns.

They were headed down a tunnel, Scarlett, Dean and Sam were the lead with the flare guns and Haley and Ben supporting Tommy, who was limping. "You will be okay?" Dean asked Scarlett. She nodded. "Yeah," She said.

Suddenly, they heard growling again. "Looks like someone's home for supper," Dean comment. "We'll never outrun it," Haley said. Dean looked at them and then at Scarlett and Sam. "You two thinking what I'm thinking?" Dean asked. "Yeah, I think so," Sam said as Scarlett nodded.

Dean looked at Haley, Tommy and Ben. "All right, listen to me. Stay with Sam and Scar. They gonna get you out of here," Dean ordered. "What are you gonna do?" Haley asked. Dean just winked at her and started walking, yelling, "Chow time, you freaky bastard! Yeah, that's right, bring it on, baby, I taste good."

Sam and Scarlett waited until Dean was a safe distance away. "All right, come on, Hurry," Scarlett said. The Collinses followed Scarlett and Sam down the tunnel. They all hurry down a tunnel. They heard growling again. Sam looked at the Collinses and then at Scarlett. "Get them outta here."

"Sam, no," Scarlett said. "Go! Go! Go!" Sam said. "Come on," Ben said. Haley and Ben helped Tommy and they followed Scarlett in the mine tunnel. There was a gunshots. "Sam!" Scarlett yelled. Sam ran over, "Come on, hurry, hurry, hurry," He said.

They saw the wendigo behind. Scarlett shoot but missed. "Scar, come on," Sam said. She ran behind them but got separated when the wendigo was in front of her. It grabbed her and threw her against the wall. "Scarlett!" Sam yelled as he didn't see his sister.

The wendigo was right behind them. "Get behind me," Sam said to the Collinses. The wendigo approaches, taking its time. Dean come up behind the wendigo. "Hey!" Dean yelled. The wendigo turned around. But before Dean could pull the trigger, the wendigo tackled Dean on the ground and he dropped the gun. The wendigo was holding Dean by his neck.

Then two gunshots was heard and the wendigo let out a scream before it got up in flames. Dean coughed and they all looked up. They saw Scarlett with two guns. She smirked. "Not bad, huh?" She said, making Dean and Sam to grin.

... ...

 **Scarlett POV**  
It was already evening. An ambulance loaded up Tommy. A paramedic took care my wound while two Police officers interviewed Ben and Sam stood next to him. Ben said it was a bear. "Thank you," I said to the paramedic and walked over to Haley and Dean.

A paramedic come up to Haley. "You riding with your brother?" She asked her. "Yeah," Haley replied. The paramedic headed back to the ambulance and Haley turned to Ben, who was walking over to us with Sam, "Let's go."

Sam and Ben nodded at each other. Haley kissed Dean on the cheek and my mouth opened wide. "What?" I asked as Sam laughed. He hold his hand to me. "20 bucks," He said. I rolled my eyes. "You two bet on us?" Dean asked but I ignored him and looked at Sam. "It's not fair. It wasn't supposed to be this way," I whined.

They just laughed. "Where's my money?" Sam asked with a smirk. "I'm so tired," I said. Sam rolled his eyes with a smile and stopped me from going to the car as he wrapped his arms around me tightly and I giggled.

"I hope you find your father," Haley said. She smiled down at me and I smiled back. Haley and Ben headed for the ambulance. "Thanks, Sam. Scar," Haley said. Sam and I nodded. Haley and Ben climb in the ambulance with Tommy, who was shirtless and bandaged.

Sam and I sat on the Impala's hood with Dean. A paramedic closed the ambulance doors. "I hate camping," I said. "Me too," Sam and Dean said at the same time. The ambulance drove away with the sirens on. "You guys know we're gonna find Dad, right?" Dean said.

"Yeah, we know," I said and sighed. "But in the meantime? I'm driving," Sam said. Dean looked down and then tossed Sam the keys. Sam smirked. "When are you going to teach me how to drive?" I asked. Dean and Sam chuckled. "Soon," Dean said.

We got in the car and slamming the doors almost in sync. Sam started the car and spoke, "You still need to gave me the 20 bucks," He said to me. "Fine, later," I said as we drove off.


	7. 3-1 Dead in the Water

After finishing the case with the Wendigo two weeks ago, we continued on searching for Dad but still we found nothing. So we decided to take a break for now, Dean and I were sitting in the diner we pulled at for breakfast while Sam was around somewhere.

I was looking at the newspapers, for a case while Dean looked at the waitress. I circled an obituary that reads: 'CARLTON, SOPHIE - The Carlton family is sad to announce the death of their beloved daughter in a tragic swimming accident. Sophie Carlton, 18,'

"Hey, look at that," I said to Dean. He looked at the newspapers at were I circled. He nodded, "Looks like a case," He said, letting out a small sigh. "Can I get you anything else?" A female voice asked, making me and Dean to look up to see the waitress. Dean smiled at her and I rolled my eyes at him. "Just the check, please," Sam said as he came to sit beside me.

"Okay," The waitress said as she smiled at Dean and then walked away. Dean dropped his head and then looked at Sam. "You know, Sam, we are allowed to have fun once in a while," He said and then pointed at the waitress; she was wearing short shorts. "That's fun."

"You're disgusting," I mumbled but Dean just shot me a smirk before looking back at Sam, to see he was just staring at him. I handed Sam the newspaper, "Take a look at this, I think I got one," I informed him and he looked at the newspaper. "Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week Sophie Carlton, eighteen, walks into the lake, doesn't walk out. Authorities dragged the water; nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found either. They had a funeral two days ago."

Sam frowned, "A funeral?" He asked and looked at me. "Yeah, it's weird, they buried an empty coffin. For, uh, closure or whatever," Dean said. "Closure?" Sam asked, letting out a samll chuckle. "What closure? People don't just disappear. Other people just stop looking for them."

Dean shot him a glare, "Something you want to say to me?" He asked. "The trail for Dad. It's getting colder every day," Sam stated. "Exactly. So what are we supposed to do?" Dean asked, trying to stay calm. "I don't know," Sam admitted. "Something. Anything."

I sighed, talking slowly the newspaper; here we go again. "You know what? I'm sick of this attitude," Dean said. "You don't think me and Scar wanna find Dad as much as you do?"

"Yeah, I know you do, it's just -"

"We been with him every single day for the past two years, while you've been off to college going to pep rallies," He cut Sam off. "We will find Dad, but until then, we're gonna kill everything bad between here and there. Okay?"

There was tension between them. Sam didn't answer, he kept staring at Dean and he was doing the same thing. That was until the waitress walked by us and Dean's eyes shifted to her. I rolled my eyes again and Sam let out a small sigh. "All right, Lake Manitoc," He started and looked at Dean to see he was still staring at the waitress' ass. "Hey!" Dean snapped out and looked back at us, "Huh?" Sam rolled his eyes, "How far?"

... ...

After couple of hours, we made our way into a small town and towards a small cabin by a lake. Sam, Dean and Iclimbed out of the car. Dean knocked on the door and we waited a few seconds before the door opened and a man, probably in his 20's, stood there. "Will Carlton?" Dean asked. "Yeah, that's right," Will conformed. "I'm Agent Ford. This is Agent Hamill," Dean said and then pointed at me, "And this is Mia."

"Why is she with you?" Will questioned, frowning. "Looking after her. Anyway, we're with the US Wildlife Service," Dean said. "Do you mind if we can see your Dad?" I asked. Will nodded, "I guess."

Will led us to the lake where Sophie drowned. We saw Will's father, Bill, was sitting in the dock. "She was about a hundred yards out. That's where she got dragged down," Will explained. "And you're sure she didn't just drown?" I asked and Will nodded. "Yeah. She was a varsity swimmer," He informed. I looked up surprised, that didn't make sense. "She practically grew up in that lake. She was as safe out there as in her own bathtub."

"So no splashing? No signs of distress?" Sam asked. "No, that's what I'm telling you," Will said. "Did you see any shadows in the water? Maybe some dark shape breach the surface?" Sam asked. "No. Again, she was really far out there," Will said.

I looked at Bill. "You ever see any strange tracks by the shoreline?" Dean asked. "No, never. Why? Why, what do you think's out there?" Will asked. "We'll let you know as soon as we do," Dean said. He and Sam turned back to walk away. "What about your father?" I asked. My brothers stopped and turned back, taking interest in the conversation. "Can we talk to him?" I asked.

Will looked over his shoulder, taking a quick glance and looked back at me. He let out a small sigh, "Look, if you don't mind, I mean . . . he didn't see anything and he's kind of been through a lot," He said. I nodded, "We understand," I said. Sam, Dean and me walked away, heading back to the car.

After that, we went to the police station, there we meet the sheriff, who told us his name was Jake. "Now, I'm sorry, but why does the Wildlife Service care about an accidental drowning?" Jake asked. "You sure it's accidental? Will Carlton saw something grab his sister," Sam said. "Like what?" Jake asked as the four of us walked into Jake's office.

"Here, sit, please," Jake said as he sat behind his desk. Sam and I sat on the chairs and Dean stood behind me, with his hands on my shoulders as Jake spoke, "There are no indigenous carnivores in that lake. There's nothing even big enough to pull down a person, unless it was the Loch Ness Monster . . . Will Carlton was traumatized, and sometimes the mind plays tricks. Still . . . We dragged that entire lake. We even ran a sonar sweep, just to be sure, and there was nothing down there."

"That's weird, though, I mean, that's, that's the third missing body this year," Dean said. "I know. These are people from my town. These are people I care about," Jake said. "I know," Dean said as he nodded. Jake sighed, "Anyway . . ." He shook his head slightly, "All this . . . It won't be a problem much longer."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, confused. "Well, the dam, of course," Jake said. "Of course, the dam. It's, uh," Dean said. "It's falling apart," I said. Jake nodded his head, "Yes, and the feds won't give us the grant to repair it, so they've opened the spillway. In another 6 months, there won't be much of a lake. There won't be much of a town, either. But as Federal Wildlife, you already knew that."

"Exactly," Dean said. Then, a women knocked on the door. "Sorry, am I interrupting?" She asked as me and Sam got up. "I can come back later," She said. Jake got up, "Gentlemen -" He started and gave me a small smile, "And young lady, this is my daughter."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dean," Dean said as he shook hands with the woman. "Andrea Barr. Hi," She said. "Hello," I said with a smile and she smiled back. "Dean and Sam are from the Wildlife Service and Scarlett is Dean's sister. They here about the lake," Jake said. "Oh," Andrea muttered. Then a young boy showed behind her, making me smile.

I noticed Dean was also smiling. "Oh, hey there. What's your name?" He asked. The boy just walked out of the room without saying a word. Andrea gave us an apology look before walking out after him. "His name is Lucas," Jake replied. "Is he okay?" Sam asked, worried. I stared at Andrea, who was giving to Lucas crayons out of a box.

"My grandson's been through a lot. We all have," Jake said and he walked over to the office door. "Well, if there's anything else I can do for you, please let me know."

"Thanks," Sam said as we walked out of the office and to Andrea. "You know, now that you mentioned it," Dean started and looked at Andrea, "Could you point us in the direction of a reasonably priced motel?"

"Lakefront Motel. Go around the corner. It's about two blocks south," She replied. "Two - would you mind showing us?" Dean asked. Sam and I exchanged glances and rolled our eyes while Andrea laughed. "You want me to walk you two blocks?" She asked.

"Not if it's any trouble," Dean said. "I'm headed that way anyway," Andrea said with a smile. She turned to her father, "I'll be back to pick up Lucas at three." Jake nodded and Andrea looked at Lucas. "We'll go to the park, okay, sweetie?" She said in a sweet voice and she kissed his head. "Thanks again," Sam said as we headed off.

Andrea leaded me and my brothers down the street. "So, cute kid," Dean said. "Thanks," Andrea said. We cross a street. "Kids are the best, huh?" Dean said. Sam and I looked at each other and both of us bit our lower lips; we were dying to laugh. Dean gave us a look because he saw that before we stopped in front of a building that says 'LAKEFRONT MOTEL.'

"There it is. Like I said, two blocks," Andrea said. "Thanks," Sam mumbled. Andrea gave me and Sam a nod before looking at Dean, "Must be hard, with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line." With that she walked away as she calling back over her shoulder, "Enjoy your stay!"

Sam and I looked at each other again and we started to laugh. Dean looked back at us and gave us a bitch face. "'Kids are the best'?" Sam mocked. "You don't even like kids."

"I love kids," Dean disagreed. "Name three children that you even know," Sam challenged him. He pointed at me and Sam put his hand on my shoulder. "Except Scar," He said. "I'm 14!" I said.

Dean scratched his head in a thought. Sam waved a hand as I shook my head and we both walked into the motel as Sam wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "I'm thinking!" Dean called as he followed behind.


	8. 3-2 It's The Same

Sam was working on his laptop while I lay down on one of the beds and Dean was going through his clothing. "So there's the three drowning victims this year," Sam said. "Any before that?" Dean asked.

"Uh, yeah," Sam started, "Six more spread out over the past thirty-five years. Those bodies were never recovered either. If there is something out there, it's picking up its pace."

"So, what . . . we got a lake monster on a binge?" I asked. "This whole lake monster theory, it, it just bugs me," Sam said. I got up from the bed and walked over to him. "Why?" Dean asked as he walked over as well and stood beside me.

"Loch Ness, uh, Lake Champlain, there are literally hundreds of eyewitness accounts, but here, almost nothing. Whatever it is out there, no one's living to talk about it," Sam informed.

Sam scrolls to the comments section of an article and then Dean pointed at it. "Wait, Barr, Christopher Barr. Where have I heard that name before?" He asked. Sam read from the page, "Christopher Barr, the victim in May."

Sam clicked a link, opening a new page. 'LOCAL MAN IN TRAGIC ACCIDENT.' The picture loads: it shows a police officer with Lucas. "Christopher Barr was Andrea's husband, Lucas's father. Apparently he took Lucas out swimming. Lucas was on a floating wooden platform when Chris drowned. Two hours before the kid got rescued," Sam read. Sam clicked the picture, making it bigger. He scratched his head, "Maybe we have an eyewitness after all."

"No wonder that kid was so freaked out. Watching one of your parents die isn't something you just get over," Dean mumbled. I got back to the bed and I looked at my shoes. Suddenly, I started thinking about my mother. How was she? Was she nice? How did she look like? So many questions come up in my mind.

"Hey guys," I started. Sam and Dean looked at me. "Yeah?" Sam asked. "How was my mom looked like?" I asked. They looked at each other and then back at me. "What?" I asked. "We just . . . We didn't expect you will ask that question," Sam said. "You remember her, right?" I asked. "Yeah," Dean said as Sam nodded.

"So, can you . . . tell me about her?" I asked. Sam closed the laptop and they both walked over to me. Sam sat next to me on the bed and Dean kneeled down in front of me. "What do you want to know about her?" Sam asked.

"Her name. How did she looked like. Was she a good person," I said. "Oh she was a good person," Dean said with a smile. "She reminded us of our mother."

"Her name was Jules. She and Dad meet on a hotel that we were staying. She was with us a year," Sam said. "So she knew what you do?" I asked and Sam nodded. "After a few weeks, she got pregnant with you," Dean said with a smile. "Yeah, we were happy when she told us about that," Sam said with a smile.

I smiled, "So you liked her?" I asked. My brothers smiled. "Yeah. We did," Sam said. "She was an amazing person," Dean said. Sam wrapped his arm around me. "How did she looked like?" I asked. "Well, you can go to the mirror and look. You look like her," Dean said. "I am?" I asked and he nodded.

"Now, come on," Dean said and got up. "Let's go to see Andrea and Lucas." I rolled my eyes but I couldn't help it but to smile. Dean and Sam smiled as well and we got out of our room.

We got to the park. We saw Andrea sat on a bench and watched Lucas, who was at another bench coloring and playing with toy soldiers. "Can we join you?" Sam asked politely. Andrea looked up at us, she smiled and then looked at her son before looking back at us, "I'm here with my son."

Dean looked over at Lucas. "Oh. Mind if I say hi?" He asked Andrea. She nodded and Dean walked over to Lucas. "Tell your friend this whole Jerry Maguire thing is not gonna work on me," Andrea said with a smile. Sam and I smiled and sat on both of her side. "I don't think that's what this is about," I said.

I looked at Dean, who was talking with Lucas. Lucas didn't say anything, but he looked at Dean a couple of time before continuing to play. After a couple of minutes, Dean come back. Andrea, Sam and I got up. "Lucas hasn't said a word, not even to me. Not since his dad's accident," Andrea said. "Yeah, we heard. Sorry," Dean said. Andrea just nodded.

"What are the doctors saying?" Sam asked. Andrea sighed. "That it's a kind of post-traumatic stress," She said. "That can't be easy. For either of you," I said. Andrea smiled a little at me, "We moved in with my dad. He helps out a lot. It's just . . . When I think about what Lucas went through, what he saw . . ."

"Kids are strong. You'd be surprised what they can deal with," Dean said. "You know, he used to have such life. He was hard to keep up with, to tell you the truth. Now he just sits there. Drawing those pictures, playing with those army men. I just wish -" Andrea said and then we saw Lucas walking over us, "Hey sweetie."

Lucas handed Dean a picture. He drawn a house. "Thanks," Dean said as he looked down at the picture. "Thanks, Lucas," Dean said. But the little boy didn't answer. He just walked back to the bench.

... ...

Dean and I were inside the motel room sitting on the bed. I looked at the picture that Lucas gave to Dean and frowned. "That house looks a bit familiar," I said. Dean was about to say something but Sam barged in and he looked pissed, "So, I think it's safe to say we can rule out Nessie."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked. Sam sat down next to me, "I just drove past the Carlton house. There was an ambulance there. Will Carlton is dead," He informed. "He drowned?" I asked. "Yep. In the sink," Sam said. My jaw dropped and Dean looked shocked at him, "What the hell?" He asked. "So you're right, this isn't a creature. We're dealing with something else."

"Yeah, but what?" Sam asked. "I don't know. Water wraith, maybe? Some kind of demon? I mean, something that controls water . . . water that comes from the same source," Dean said. "The lake," Sam and I said at the same time. "Yeah," Dean agreed.

"Which would explain why it's upping the body count. The lake is draining," I said. "It'll be dry in a few months. Whatever this thing is, whatever it wants, it's running out of time."

"And if it can get through the pipes, it can get to anyone, almost anywhere," Dean said and stood up, "This is gonna happen again soon."

"And we do know one other thing for sure. We know this has got something to do with Bill Carlton," Sam said. "Yeah, it took both his kids," Dean said. "And I've been asking around. Lucas's dad, Chris, Bill Carlton's godson," Sam said. "Let's go pay Mr. Carlton a visit," Dean said.

We saw Bill sitting on the bench on the dock. We walked over to him. "Mr. Carlton?" Sam asked. Bill looked up at us. "We'd like to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind," Sam said softly. Dean cleared his throat and spoke, "We're from the, the Department -"

"I don't care who you're with," Bill cut him off, still didn't looked up at us. "I've answered enough questions today."

I glanced up at my brothers before back at Bill, "Your son said he saw something in that lake. What about you? You ever see anything out there?" I asked softly but he didn't answered. "Mr. Carlton, Sophie's drowning and Will's death - we think there might be a connection to you or your family," Sam said.

"My children are gone. It's . . ." Bill said quietly before looking at us with tears in his eyes,"It's worse than dying." I looked at him sadly and then he looked away from us, "Go away. Please."

We started to walk back to the car. "What do you two think?" Sam asked me and Dean. "I think the poor guy's been through hell," Dean said. "I also think he's not telling us something." They leaned on the Impala roof. "So now what?" Sam asked as I looked at Bill's house. "What is it?" Dean asked me, noticing my stare.

"Maybe Bill's not the only one who knows something," I said and then looked at Dean. "Where's the picture that Lucas gave you?" He pulled out the picture and gave it to me. I hold the picture up and I was right; It was the Carlton house. Me and my brothers exchanged looks, "We need to get to Lucas," I informed.

We climbed into the car and drove to Andrea's house. We asked her to let us talk to Lucas. "I'm sorry, but I don't think it's a good idea," She said. "I just need to talk to him. Just for a few minutes," Dean said. "He won't say anything. What good's it gonna do?" Andrea said. "Andrea, we think more people might get hurt. We think something's happening out there," Sam said.

"My husband, the others, they just drowned. That's all," Andrea said. "If that's what you really believe, then we'll go," Dean agreed. "But if you think there's even a possibility that something else could be going on here, please let me talk to your son."

Andrea finally agreed and she led us to Lucas's room, where he was drawing. Dean walked in and crouched down while Andrea, Sam and me were watching. "Hey, Lucas. You remember me?" Dean asked. Lucas didn't say anything. "You know, I, uh, I wanted to thank you for that last drawing. But the thing is, I need your help again."

Dean pulled the drawing from his jacket. He unfolded it and placed it in front of Lucas. "How did you know to draw this? Did you know something bad was gonna happen?" He asked. Lucas didn't answer, but Dean continued, "Maybe you could nod yes or no for me."

Lucas didn't answer again and Dean swallowed, "You're scared. It's okay. I understand. See, when I was your age, I saw something real bad happen to my mom, and I was scared, too," He said. I looked up at Sam, who was looking at Dean.

I looked back as Dean continued, "I didn't feel like talking, just like you. But see, my mom - I know she wanted me to be brave. I think about that every day. And I do my best to be brave. And maybe, your dad wants you to be brave too."

I wrapped my arms around Sam and he wrapped his arm around me as well. Lucas dropped his crayon and finally looked up at Dean. He handed Dean another picture. "Thanks, Lucas," Dean said.

We went back to the car and climbed in before pulling off. "Andrea said the kid never drew like that till his dad died," Dean informed. "There are cases - going through a traumatic experience could make people more sensitive to premonitions, psychic tendencies," Sam said. "Whatever's out there, what if Lucas is tapping into it somehow? I mean, it's only a matter of time before somebody else drowns, so if you got a better lead, please," Dean said.

"All right, we got another house to find," I said as I looked at the picture. "The only problem is there's about a thousand yellow two-stories in this county alone," Dean noted. I leaned forward, "See this church?" I said as I showed the picture to my brothers, "I bet there's less than a thousand of those around here."

"Oh, thinks she's so smart," Dean said with a smirk. "I'm smarter than you," I said with a smirk. Sam laughed while Dean rolled his eyes and huffed, "Yeah, right," He mumbled. "You know, um . . . What you said about Mom . . . You never told me that before," Sam told him. "It's no big deal," Dean said and we just looked at him.

Dean looked at us and saw we were staring at him which made him look back at the road. "Oh God, we're not gonna have to hug or anything, are we?" Dean asked, making Sam and I to laugh.

We soon found a white church and pulled in front of it. We climbed out and I looked at the church in case it wasn't the one. Then I looked to my right and saw the yellow house that was in the picture. Sam looked at Dean and me and we crossed the street to the house.

We walked in front of the yellow house and Sam knocked on the door. It was answered by an old lady. She let us in after talking to her. "We're sorry to bother you, ma'am, but does a little boy live here, by chance? He might wear a blue ball cap, has a red bicycle," Dean asked. The old lady looked sad, "No sir. Not for a very long time. Peter's been gone for 35 years now," She said.

The old lady looked at a picture of a little boy, Peter, on the side table. The old lady sighed, "The police never - I never had any idea what happened. He just disappeared," She informed. I looked over and saw a number of toy soldiers on a table. I hit slightly Sam and Dean's arms and they saw were I was looking at. "Losing him - you know, it's . . . it's worse than dying," The old lady said. Me and my brothers exchanged glances and looked back on the old lady.

"Did he disappear from here? I mean, from this house?" I asked softly. "He was supposed to ride his bike straight home after school, and he never showed up," She said. Dean walked to the mirror and picked up a picture of two boys. Dean flipped it over and read, "Peter Sweeney and Billy Carlton, 1970."

Dean looked at me and Sam. I nodded and Dean put the picture where he picked it. "Thank you for your time," Sam said to the old lady. She nodded and me and my brothers got out of the house and walked back to the car.


	9. 3-3 It's Peter

We were driving back to Bill's house. "Okay, this little boy Peter Sweeney vanishes, and this is all connected to Bill Carlton somehow," I said. "Yeah, Bill sure as hell seems to be hiding something, huh?" Dean said.

"And Bill, the people he loves, they're all getting punished," Sam said. "So what if Bill did something to Peter?" Dean asked. "What if Bill killed him?" I asked. "Peter's spirit would be furious. It'd want revenge. It's possible," Dean said.

The Impala pulled up in front of the Carlton house. We walked over to the house. "Mr. Carlton?" Sam called. "Hey, check it out," Dean said. Sam and I looked around and saw Bill going out on the lake in his boat. We ran to the end of the dock, yelling. "Mr. Carlton! You need to come back! Come out of the water! Turn the boat around!" Dean yelled. "Mr. Carlton!" Sam yelled. "Mr. Carlton! Come back!" I yelled.

But Bill ignored us and keep on going. All of a sudden, what seemed to be like a big wave, knocked the wole boat, making it jump backwards, and sink it and Bill into the water.

... ...

Dean, Sam and I we arrived at the station with Jake. We saw Andrea sitting on a chair with Lucas. Andrea looked over at us, "Sam, Dean, Scarlett," She said as she stood up. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"So now you're on a first-name basis," Jake said with a little smile before looking at his daughter, "What are you doing here?"

"I brought you dinner," Andrea replied. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I don't really have the time," Jake said. "I heard about Bill Carlton. Is it true? Is something going on with the lake?" Andrea asked.

"Right now we don't know what the truth is. But I think it might be better if you and Lucas went on home," Jake said. Lucas looked up and whimpered, looking stricken; He jumped up and grabbed Dean's arm. "Lucas, hey, what is it?" Dean asked. "Lucas," Dean and Andrea said at the same time.

"Lucas, it's okay. It's okay. Hey, Lucas, it's okay. It's okay," Dean said. Andrea finally pulled Lucas away from Dean and lead him outside while Lucas didn't looked away from Dean. Jake throw down his jacket to a chair and walked into his office. Me and my brothers followed and we told Jake everything that happened.

"Okay, just so I'm clear, you see . . . something attack Bill's boat, sending Bill - who is a very good swimmer, by the way - into the drink, and you never see him again?" Jake asked. "Yeah, that about sums it up," Dean said.

"And I'm supposed to believe this, even though I've already sonar-swept that entire lake? And what you're describing is impossible?" Jake looked between Sam and Dean, "And you're not really Wildlife Service?"

Me and my brothers looked surprised. "That's right, I checked. Department's never heard of you two," Jake told Sam and Dean. "See, now, we can explain that," Dean said. "Enough. Please. The only reason you're breathing free air is one of Bill's neighbors saw him steering out that boat just before you did. So, we have a couple of options here. I can arrest you for impersonating government officials and hold you as material witnesses to Bill Carlton's disappearance. Or, we can chalk this all up to a bad day, you get into your car, you put this town in your rearview mirror, and you don't ever darken my doorstep again," Jake said.

"Door number two sounds good," Sam said. "That's the one I'd pick," Jake said and we walked out.

... ...

 **Third Person POV**  
Dean, Sam and Scarlett were in the Impala, waiting at a traffic light. A sign says I-43 North to Milwaukee is to the left. The light turns green. The Impala didn't move. "Green," Sam said. "What?" Dean asked, dazed out. "Light's green," Sam said. Dean turned right. "Uh, the interstate's the other way," Scarlett pointed out. "I know," Dean said.

Sam and Scarlett exchanged glances and looked back at Dean. Scarlett sighed. "Dean, this job, I think it's over," She said. "I'm not so sure," Dean said. "If Bill murdered Peter Sweeney and Peter's spirit got its revenge, case closed. The spirit should be at rest," Sam said. "All right, so what if we take off and this thing isn't done? You know, what if we've missed something? What if more people get hurt?" Dean asked.

"But why would you think that?" Scarlett asked. "Because Lucas was really scared," Dean said. "That's what this is about?" Sam asked. "I just don't want to leave this town until I know the kid's okay," Dean said.

Sam and Scarlett looked at looked at each other in surprise, then back at Dean and they both smirked. "Who are you? And what have you done with our brother?" Scarlett asked. Dean glanced at both of them and back to the road. "Shut up," He grumbled.

 **Scarlett POV**  
Sam, Dean and I we arrived to Andrea's house. "Are you sure about this? It's pretty late, man," Sam said as I yawned and rubbed my eyes. He wrapped his arm around me as Dean ring the doorbell. At that moment, Lucas opened the door, desperately afraid. "Lucas? Lucas!" Dean said. Lucas took off and we followed him.

We ran upstairs and see water is pouring out from under the bathroom door and down the stairs. Lucas started to pounding on the bathroom door. Dean pushed him over to me and kicked in the door.

Lucas grabbed Dean and me as Sam run into the bathroom and sticks his arms in the tub, trying to pull Andrea out. She was pulled back under, I ran to help and me and my brother pulled until Andrea was all the way out. She started coughing up water. I pulled a towel that was next to me and wrapped it around her. I looked at Dean, who was still holding Lucas.

...

 **Third Person POV**  
It was already morning, Scarlett, Sam and Andrea were sitting in the living room. Andrea was dry and wearing comfortable clothing. "Can you tell us?" Sam asked. "No," Andrea said quietly. Scarlett put her hand on Andrea's back as a consolation. "It doesn't make any sense," Andrea said and she started cry. "I'm going crazy." She put her face in her hands.

"No, you're not. Tell us what happened. Everything," Scarlett said softly. "I heard . . . I thought I heard . . . there was this voice," Andrea said. "What did it say?" Sam asked. "It said . . . it said 'come play with me'," Andrea said and she sobbed. Scarlett pulled Andrea to a hug and Andrea cried on Scarlett's shoulder as she asked, "What's happening?"

Meanwhile, when Scarlett, Sam and Andrea were talking, Dean was looking through notebooks on bookshelves. He pulled out a scrapbook that says "Jake - 12 years old" and opened it, flipping pages. He closed it again and got to his siblings and Andrea; Dean put the book down in front of Andrea and opened to a picture of Explorer Troop 37.

"Do you recognize the kids in these pictures?" Dean asked. "What? Um, um, no. I mean, except that's my dad right there. He must have been about 12 in these pictures," Andrea said as she moves her finger over to another picture of Jake as a child; he was standing next to peter.

Dean looked between Sam and Scarlett. "Chris Barr's drowning. The connection wasn't to Bill Carlton. It must have been to the sheriff," Dean said. "Bill and the sheriff - they were both involved with Peter," Scarlett said. Dean looked sideway and see Lucas staring out the window. "What about Chris? My dad - what are you talking about?" Andrea asked. "Lucas?" Dean asked. They all looked over at the little boy. "Lucas, what is it?" Dean asked.

Lucas ignored him and opened the door. He walked outside and they all followed. "Lucas, honey?" Andrea asked. Suddenly, Lucas stopped and looked at the ground, then at Dean. "You and Lucas get back to the house and stay there, okay?" Dean said to Andrea. Andrea pulled Lucas back to the house. Scarlett and Sam walked over to Dean and the three looked at the same spot that Lucas looked at.

Scarlett, Dean and Sam took shovels from the Impala, before they start digging. Sam's shovel clanked against something. They dig with their hands and pull out a red bicycle. "Peter's bike," Sam said. "Who are you?" Jake asked from behind them. Scarlett, Sam and Dean turned around and see Jake was there, pointing a gun at them.

"Put the gun down, Jake," Scarlett said. "How did you know that was there?" Jake asked. "What happened? You and Bill killed Peter, drowned him in the lake and then buried the bike? You can't bury the truth, Jake. Nothing stays buried," Dean said.

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," Jake said. "You and Bill killed Peter Sweeney thirty-five years ago. That's what the hell I'm talking about," Dean said. Andrea ran over, "Dad!"

"And now you got one seriously pissed-off spirit," Dean said. "It's gonna take Andrea, Lucas, everyone you love. It's gonna drown them. And it's gonna drag their bodies God knows where, so you can feel the same pain Peter's mom felt. And then, after that, it's gonna take you, and it's not gonna stop until it does," Sam said.

"Yeah, and how do you know that?" Jake asked. "Because that's exactly what it did to Bill Carlton," Scarlett said. "Listen to yourselves, the three of you. You're insane," Jake said.

"I don't really give a rat's ass what you think of us. But if we're gonna bring down this spirit, we need to find the remains, salt them, and burn them into dust. Now tell me you buried Peter somewhere. Tell me you didn't just let him go in the lake," Dean said.

"Dad, is any of this true?" Andrea asked. "No. Don't listen to them. They're liars and they're dangerous," Jake said, not looking at his daughter. "Something tried to drown me. Chris died on that lake. Dad, look at me," Andrea said.

Jake slowly looked at her eyes. "Tell me you - you didn't kill anyone," Andrea said. Jake didn't answer. He looked away and tried to find the right words to say. "Oh my God," Andrea whispered. "Billy and I were at the lake. Peter was the smallest one. We always bullied him, but this time, it got rough. We were holding his head under the water. We didn't mean to. But we held him under too long and he drowned," Jake confessed.

Andrea was speechless. She never thought that her father was capable doing such a thing. Jack looked at Dean, Sam and Scarlett. "We let the body go, and it sank," He said. The Winchester siblings exchanged a glance.

Jake looked at Andrea, "Oh, Andrea, we were kids. We were so scared. It was a mistake. But, Andrea, to say that I have anything to do with these drownings, with Chris, because of some ghost? It's not rational."

"All right, listen to me, all of you. We need to get you away from this lake, as far as we can, right now," Dean said. Scarlett looked around and then her eyes stopped at Lucas, who was going down to the lake. "Lucas!" Scarlett yelled as she ran to him. "Lucas!" Jake yelled.

They all run up to the dock. Lucas was leaning over the side, reaching for a toy soldier in the water. "Lucas!" Dean yelled. "Lucas! Baby, stay where you are!" Andrea yelled. "Lucas, stay away from there!" Scarlett yelled.

Suddenly, a hand comes up and grabbed Lucas's hand as Scarlett grabbed Lucas's other hand and Peter pulled them both into the water.

"Scarlett!" Dean and Sam yelled at the same time. The adults have reached the edge of the lake. Jake stopped and see Peter's head was visible; Jake recognized him. Dean and Sam keep running to the end of the dock and they dive in to look for their sister and Lucas. "Oh my God!" Andrea said and she took off her jacket to jump in but Sam yelled, "Andrea, stay there!"

"No! Lucas!" Andrea yelled. "We'll get him! Just stay on the dock!" Sam said before diving under the water again. After a few seconds Dean come back up. "Sam!" Dean yelled. At that moment, Sam came out with Scarlett in his arms and she coughed.

Dean sighed in relief that she's safe. Dean dived in the water again to search for Lucas. Andrea helped Scarlett up as Sam handed her to Andrea and she hugged Scarlett tightly as she was shivered from the cold. Sam dive back down as Jake took off his jacket.

Jake waded in. "Peter, if you can hear me . . ." Jake started. Andrea and Scarlett looked over. "Please, Peter, I'm sorry. I'm so - I'm so sorry," Jake said. "Daddy, no!" Andrea yelled while she still hugging Scarlett. "Peter. Lucas - he's, he's just a little boy. Please, it's not his fault, it's mine. Please take me," Jake begged. Dean and Sam come up for air. "Jake, no!" Dean yelled.

"Just let it be over!" Jake yelled. Suddenly, Peter grabbed Jake's leg and he was dragged down. "Daddy! Daddy! No!" Andrea yelled. Dean and Sam dive down again.

Sam was the first one to come up. He shook his head as Andrea looked at him. Then suddenly, Dean came up with Lucas in his arms.

... ...

 **Scarlett POV**  
Me, Dean and Sam walked out of the motel. Sam had his arm wrapped around my shoulder as Dean opened the car door and we tossed our duffel bag in. Sam and I we noticed the look of disappointment on Dean's face. "Look, we're not gonna save everybody," Sam said to him. "I know," Dean said.

"Sam, Dean, Scar," A woman called. We looked up and see Andrea walking up with Lucas. "Hey," Dean said as we walked towards them. Lucas was carrying a tray of sandwiches. "We're glad we caught you. We just, um, we made you lunch for the road. Lucas insisted on making the sandwiches himself," Andrea said with a smile. Me and my brothers smiled.

Lucas looked up at his mother. "Can I give it to them now?" He asked and we smiled. "Of course," Andrea said with a smile and kissed Lucas's head. "Come on, Lucas, let's load this into the car," Dean said with a smile and they both walked to the car, leaving me and Sam with Andrea.

Andrea looked at me. "How are you?" She asked with a smile. I smiled, "I fine," I said as Sam placed his hand on my shoulder. Andrea smiled and nodded, "I'm glad."

"How you holding up?" I asked her. "It's just gonna take a long time to sort through everything, you know?" Andrea said. Sam sighed, "Andrea, I'm sorry," He said. Andrea shook her head, "You saved my son. I can't ask for more than that," She said. "Dad loved me. He loved Lucas. No matter what he did, I just have to hold on to that."

Me, Sam and Andrea walked over to Dean and Lucas. Andrea come up and kissed Dean on the lips. I looked at Sam and we grinned. "We should have bet on that," I joked. Sam laughed and Dean gave us a look while Andrea was smiling on us. She looked back at Dean and he at her.

"Thank you," She said. Dean thought a minute, then scratched his head and got around the car as he spoke, "Sam, Scar, move your ass. We're gonna run out of daylight before we hit the road."

We climbed in the car and Dean started the engine. We smiled at Andrea and Lucas as they waving goodbye. We drive away, leaving the town behind.


	10. 4-1 Phantom Traveler

**Third Person POV**

Scarlett and Dean were sleeping on the beds in the motel room. Scarlett slept on her bed and Dean was slept on the other bed on his stomach. As the door opened, Dean opened his eyes and reached under the his pillow to grab his knife. As he turned to look, he saw Sam, carrying coffee and pastries.

"Morning, sunshine," Sam comment in a low tone, aware of their little sister sleeping on her bed. "What time is it?" Dean asked in a low tone. "Uh, it's about five forty-five," Sam replied in a low tone. "In the morning?" Dean groaned. "Yep," Sam said in a low tone.

"Where does the day go?" Dean asked himself as he sat up. He looked at Sam. "Did you get any sleep last night?" He asked. "Yeah, I grabbed a couple hours," Sam said. "Liar. 'Cause I was up at 3, and you were watching a George Foreman infomercial," Dean said. "Hey, what can I say? It's riveting TV," Sam said.

"When was the last time you got a good night's sleep?" Dean asked. "I don't know, a little while, I guess. It's not a big deal," Sam said. "Yeah, it is," Dean said. Sam let out a sigh, "Look -"

He was cut off by Scarlett groaning as she woke up. "Morning," Sam told her. Scarlett groaned. "Early. Sleep," She said and covered herself with a blanket over her head. Sam and Dean chuckled. Sam turned back to Dean. "Look, I appreciate your concern -"

"Oh, I'm not concerned about you," Dean cut him off. "It's your job to keep Scar's and my ass alive, so we need you sharp."

Sam shrugged before Scarlett pulled off the blanket from her head and looked at him. "Do you still having nightmares about Jess?" She asked. Sam sighed and sat on her bed, and handed a coffee to Dean and a Choco to Scarlett as he spoke, "Yeah. But it's not just her. It's everything. I just forgot, you know? This job. It gets to you."

Scarlett took a sip of the Choco. "You can't let it. You can't bring it home like that," Dean said and then took a sip from his coffee. "So, what? All this it . . . never keeps you up at night?" Sam asked Dean.

Dean shook his head and Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Never? You're never afraid?" Sam asked. "No, not really," Dean said. "Yeah right," Scarlett mumbled. Dean shot her a look, "Really," He said. Scarlett shook her head while Sam gave a little chuckle. He reached under Dean's pillow to pull out a large hunting knife and hold it up as evidence.

Dean took the knife back. "That's not fear. That is precaution," He said and Scarlett rolled her eyes again. "All right, whatever. I'm too tired to argue," Sam said as Scarlett put her Choco on the table between her and Dean. Dean's phone ring and he answered it, "Hello?"

" _Dean, it's, uh, it's Jerry Panowski. You and your dad helped me out a couple years back_ ," The man, Jerry said on the other line. "Oh, right, yeah. Up in Kittanning, Pennsylvania, the poltergeist thing. It's not back, is it?" Dean asked.

" _No. No. Thank god, no. But it's something else, and . . . uh, I think it could be a lot worse_ ," Jerry said. "What is it?" Dean asked. " _Can we talk in person?_ " Jerry asked. Dean looked at Scarlett and Sam before he replied, "Sure."

... ...

 **Scarlett POV**  
After Dean told me and Sam about his call from a guy name Jerry, me and my brothers drove to the hangar were Jerry asked to meet.

"Thanks for making the trip so quick," Jerry said as me, Sam and Dean walked behind him. "I ought to be doing you guys a favor, not the other way around." Then looked at me and Sam. "Dean and your Dad really helped me out."

"Yeah, he told us. It was a poltergeist?" Sam asked. "Poltergeist? Man, I loved that movie," A man said. "Hey, nobody's talking to you. Keep walking," Jerry said to the man. I smirked. "Damn right it was a poltergeist, practically tore our house apart. Tell you something," Jerry said and turned to Dean, "If it wasn't for you and your Dad, I probably wouldn't be alive."

I saw Dean smirking at me and Sam and I rolled my eyes. Dad told me about that case, but I was too young to help, so he and Dean told me to stay in the Hotel that we were staying. "Your dad said you were off at college. Is that right?" Jerry asked Sam. "Yeah, I was. I'm - taking some time off," Sam said. "Well, he was real proud of you. I could tell. He talked about you all the time," Jerry said. "He did?" Sam asked, surprised.

"Yeah, you bet he did. Oh, hey, you know I tried to get a hold of him, but I couldn't. How's he doing, anyway?" Jerry asked. My brothers and I looked at each other for a second and then I spoke, "He's, um, in a job right now."

"Well, we're missing the old man, but we get Scarlett and Sam. Even trade, huh?" Jerry said to us. The four of us laughed a little. "No, not by a long shot," I said. "I got something I want you guys to hear," Jerry said as he opened the door to his office.

We all sat down and Jerry pulled out a tape. "I listened to this. And, well, it sounded like it was up your alley," Jerry explained as he put a CD and started it. "Normally I wouldn't have access to this. It's the cockpit voice recorder for United Britannia flight 2485. It was one of ours."

It's started, " _Mayday! Mayday! Repeat! This is United Britania 2485 - immediate instruction help! United Britanis 2485, I copy your message - May be experiencing some mechanical failure . . ._ " There was a loud whooshing sound. I exchanged looks with my brothers and the CD ended.

"Took off from here, crashed about two hundred miles south. Now, they're saying mechanical failure. Cabin depressurized somehow. Nobody knows why. Over a hundred people on board. Only seven got out alive. Pilot was one. His name is Chuck Lambert. He's a good friend of mine. Chuck is, uh . . . well, he's pretty broken up about it. Like it was his fault," Jerry said. "You don't think it was?" I asked. "No, I don't," He said as he shook his head.

"Jerry, we're gonna need passenger manifests, um, a list of survivors," Sam said. "Right, and any way we can take a look at the wreckage?" Dean asked. "The other stuff is no problem. But the wreckage . . . guys, the NTSB has it locked down in an evidence warehouse. No way I've got that kind of clearance," Jerry said. "No problem," Dean said.

... ...

Sam and I were waiting by the car outside the Copy Jack. Then as I see Dean walking out, a woman enters. "Hey," She said. "Hi," Dean said with a smile and walked over to me and Sam. "You've been in there forever," I said. Dean hold up two IDs for him and Sam.

"You can't rush perfection," He said. Sam took one of the IDs, "Homeland Security?" He asked with a frown and gave it to me to look. "That's pretty illegal, even for us."

"Yeah, well, it's something new. You know? People haven't seen it a thousand times," Dean said as he walked around the car.

We climbed into the car. "All right, so, what do you two got?" Dean asked. "There's definitely EVP on the cockpit voice recorder," I said. "Listen," Sam said and he played the tape, which has been edited to pull out a scratchy voice;

". . . _No survivors! . . ._ "

Dean frowned, ""No survivors"? What's that supposed to mean? There were seven survivors," He said. "Got us," Sam said. "So, what are you thinking? A haunted flight?" Dean asked. "There's a long history of spirits and death omens on planes and ships, like phantom travelers," Sam said.

"Or remember flight 401?" I asked. "Right. The one that crashed, the airline salvaged some of its parts, put it in other planes, then the spirit of the pilot and copilot haunted those flights," Dean said.

"Right," Sam said. "Yep," Dean said. "Maybe we got a similar deal," I said. "All right, so, survivors, which one do you want to talk to first?" Dean asked. "Third on the list: Max Jaffey," I said.

"Why him?" Dean asked. "Well, for one, he's from around here. And two, if anyone saw anything weird, he did," Sam said. "What makes you say that?" Dean asked. "Well, I spoke to his mother, and she told me where to find him," Sam said before we pulled off.

Dean parked the car in front of the gate to a building with a sign out front reading. Dean looked at me, "Stay here," He said. "What? Why?" I asked. "Because I said so," He said. "Dean," Sam started. Dean looked at him and sighed as he looked back at me. "Fine, come on." I smirked and we climbed out.

Max was walking with a cane between Sam and Dean. "I don't understand. I already spoke with Homeland Security," Max said. I walked beside to Dean. "Right. Some new information has come up. So if you could just answer a couple questions . . ." Dean said. "Just before the plane went down, did you notice anything . . . unusual?" Sam asked. "Like what?" Max asked.

"Strange lights, weird noises, maybe. Voices," I said. Max was a bit hesitant, "No, nothing," He said. Dean and I exchanged glances. "Mmm, Mr. Joffey -" Dean started as he, me, Sam and Max sat on the chairs in front of a table. "Jaffey," Max corrected him. "Jaffey. You checked yourself in here, right?" Dean asked. Max nodded. "Can I ask why?" Dean asked.

"I was a little stressed. I survived a plane crash," Max said. "Uh huh. And that's what terrified you? That's what you were afraid of?" Dean asked. "I . . . I don't want to talk about this anymore," Max said, but Dean ignored him, "See, I think maybe you did see something up there. We need to know what."

"No. No, I was . . . delusional. Seeing things," Max insisted. "Oh," Dean said and turned to Sam and me. "He was seeing things," He repeated. Sam glared at him before turning to Max. "It's okay. Then just tell us what you thought you saw, please," He said. Max though about whether to tell or not. "There was . . . this - man. And, uh, he had these . . . eyes - these, uh . . . black eyes. And I saw him - or I thought I saw him . . ."

"What?" I asked. "He opened the emergency exit. But that's . . . that's impossible, right? I mean, I looked it up. There's something like two tons of pressure on that door," Max said. "This man, uh, did he seem to appear and disappear rapidly? It would look something like a mirage?" Sam asked. "What are you, nuts?" Max asked in disbelief. "He was a passenger. He was sitting right in front of me."


	11. 4-2 40 Minutes

We pulled up in front of the house, "So here we are. George Phelps, seat 20C," Sam said. "Hmm. Man, I don't care how strong you are," Dean said. We climbed out of the car. "Even yoked up on PCP or something, no way you can open up an emergency door during a flight."

"Not if you're human. But maybe this guy George was something else. Some kind of creature, maybe, in human form," Sam suggested. "Does that look like a creature's lair to you?" I asked and the three of us looked at the perfectly ordinary house.

Me and my brothers sat across from Mrs. Phelps. Sam was looking at a framed photograph. "This is your late husband?" He asked. Mrs. Phelps nodded. "Yes, that was my George," She replied. "And you said he was a . . . dentist?" Dean asked as Sam put the photograph back to it's place. "Mm-hm. He was headed to a convention in Denver. Do you know that he was petrified to fly? For him to go like that . . ." Mrs. Phelps said.

"How long were you married?" I asked. "Thirteen years," Mrs. Phelps replied with a smile. "In all that time, did you ever notice anything . . . strange about him, anything out of the ordinary?" I asked. "Well . . . uh, he had acid reflux, if that's what you mean," Mrs. Phelps said. Sam, Dean and I looked at each other.

Me, Sam and Dean walked down the stairs front after thanking her. "It doesn't make any sense," I said. "A middle-aged dentist with an ulcer is not exactly evil personified. You know what we need to do is get inside that NTSB warehouse, check out the wreckage," Dean said. "If we're gonna go that route, we'd better look the part," Sam said and I frowned.

... ...

I leaned on the Impala as I waited outside the "MORT'S for style". Sam and Dean got out of the store. I burst out laughing as I saw my brothers were wearing crisp black suits with white shirts. I stopped when I saw Dean gave me a death glance. "Man, I look like one of the Blues Brothers," Dean said as Sam adjusted his collar.

"No, you don't. You look more like a . . ." Sam said. "Seventh-grader at his first dance," I said. Sam smirked while Dean looked down at himself. "I hate this thing," He grumbled. "Hey. You want into that warehouse or not?" Sam asked, making Deanto only sigh before we climbed into the car. Dean started the car and we drove off.

While Sam and Dean were inside the storage warehouse, I was waited in the back seat of the car. I listened to songs in my phone but suddenly froze when I saw two REAL agents in black suits walking to the building.

My eyes grow wide and I called Dean. " _Yeah_ ," Dean's voice said. "Get out. Now," I ordered. " _Got it_ ," Dean's voice said and I hang up.

After a long moment, an alarm blared. Then I saw Dean and Sam walking to the car and they climbed in. "Did you guys had fun?" I asked sarcastically. Dean smirked as he started the car. "Yeah," He said sarcastically before we drove off.

We got back to Jerry's office. Jerry looked at the yellow stuff that my brothers found, through his microscope. "Huh," Jerry said. "What?" I asked. "This stuff is covered in sulfur," He replied. "You're sure?" Sam asked, frowning. "Take a look for yourself," Jerry said. There was a banging sounds from outside the office. "If you fellows will excuse me, I have an idiot to fire," Jerry said as he walked out.

Dean walked over and looked into the microscope. "Hmm," Dean said and looked up. "You know, there's not too many things that leave behind a sulfuric residue," Dean pointed out.

"Demonic possession?" I suggested. "It would explain how a mortal man would have the strength to open up an emergency hatch," Dean said. "If the guy was possessed, it's possible," Sam said.

"This goes way beyond floating over a bed or barfing pea soup. I mean it's one thing to possess a person, but to use them to take down an entire airplane?" Dean said. "You ever heard of something like this before?" Sam asked. I shook my head as Dean spoke, "Never."

... ...

We were in full research mode. Sam was in his laptop while Dean and I were reading on the beds. "So, every religion in every world culture has the concept of demons and demonic possession, right? I mean Christian, Native American, Hindu, you name it," Sam said.

"Yeah, but none of them describe anything like this," Dean said. "Well, that's not exactly true. You see according to Japanese beliefs, certain demons are behind certain disasters, both natural and man-made. One causes earthquakes, another causes disease," Sam said.

"And this one causes plane crashes?" Dean asked. Dean got up. "All right, so, what? We have a demon that's evolved with the times and found a way to ratchet up the body count?" He asked. "Yeah. You know, who knows how many planes it's brought down before this one?" Sam said. Dean snorted and turned away. I frowned. "What?" I asked.

"I don't know. This isn't our normal gig. I mean, demons, they don't want anything, just death and destruction for its own sake. This is big. And I wish Dad was here," Dean said. I looked down. "Same," I said. "Yeah. Me too," Sam said. Dean's phone rang and he answered it.

"Hello? Oh, hey, Jerry," Dean said. They his eyes grow wide. "Wha - Jerry, I'm sorry. What happened?" I frowned. "Where'd this happen?" Dean asked. "I'll try to ignore the irony in that. Nothing. Jerry, hang in there, all right? We'll catch up with you soon." He hang up. "Another crash?" I asked. Dean nodded. "Yeah. Let's go," He said. "Where?" Sam asked. "Nazareth," Dean replied and we left the room.

We drove to Nazareth and then we got to Jerry's office. Jerry was looking through the microscope again. "Sulfur?" I asked. Jerry looked away from the microscope and nodded. "Well, that's great. All right, that's two plane crashes involving Chuck Lambert. This demon sounds like it was after him," Dean said.

"With all due respect to Chuck, if that's the case, that would be the good news," Sam said. "What's the bad news?" Dean asked. "Chuck's plane went down exactly 40 minutes into flight. And get this, so did flight 2485," Sam said. "40 minutes? What does that mean?" Jerry asked.

"It's biblical numerology. You know Noah's ark, it rained for 40 days. The number means death," Dean explained. "I went back, and there have been 6 plane crashes over the last decade that all went down exactly 40 minutes in," Sam said. "Any survivors?" Dean asked. "No. Or not until now, at least, not until flight 2485, for some reason. On the cockpit voice recorder, remember what the EVP Said?" Sam asked.

"' _No survivors,_ '" I repeated. I started thinking about what it means. "It's going after all the survivors. It's trying to finish the job," I said and Sam nodded.

... ...

It's was night, I was in the back seat while Dean was driving and Sam was sitting in the passenger seat, talking on the phone. "Really? Well, thank you for taking our survey, and if you do plan to fly, please don't forget your friends at United Britannia Airlines. Thanks," Sam said and he hung up. "All right. That takes care of Blaine Sanderson and Dennis Holloway. They're not flying anytime soon."

"So our only wildcard is the flight attendant Amanda Walker," I said. "Right. Her sister Karen said her flight leaves Indianapolis at eight pm. It's her first night back on the job," Sam said. "That sounds like just our luck," Dean said. "Dean, this is a 5 hour drive, man, even with you behind the wheel," Sam said.

"Why don't you call Amanda's cellphone again, see if we can't head her off at the pass," Dean said. "I already left her three voice messages. She must have turned her cellphone off," Sam said. "We're never gonna make it," I said. "We'll make it," Dean said.


	12. 4-3 Let's Fly

Dean, Sam and I rushed into the airport and checked the Departure board. Sam pointed at the middle screen. "Right there. They're boarding in thirty minutes," He informed. "Okay. We still have some cards to play. We need to find a phone," Dean said. We found a courtesy phone and Dean picked it up. "Hi. Gate thirteen," Dean said. "I'm trying to contact an Amanda Walker. She's a flight attendant on flight, um . . . flight 4-2-4."

Sam and I looked around. "Come on. Miss Walker. Hi, this is Dr. James Hetfield from St. Francis Memorial Hospital. We have a Karen Walker here. Nothing serious, just a minor car accident, but she was injured, so -" Dean said. He was quiet for a moment, "You what?"

I frowned. "Uh, well . . . there must be some mistake," Dean said. Sam and I tried to hear what's going on. "Guilty as charged," Dean said with a little chuckled.

"He's really sorry," He said. " _Well, you tell him to mind his own business and stay out of my life, okay?_ " I heard Amanda's voice a little. "Yes, but . . . he really needs to see you tonight, so -" He said.

" _No, I'm sorry. It's too late_ ," Amanda said. "Don't be like that. Come on. The guy's a mess. Really. It's pathetic," Dean said with a smile. "Oh, yeah . . . No, no. Wait, Amanda. Amanda!" He put the phone back. "Damn it! So close," He said.

' _Thank you for flying United Britannia Airlines_.'

"All right, it's time for plan B. We're getting on that plane," I said. Sam nodded in agreement but Dean's eyes grow wide. "Whoa, whoa, now just hold on a second," He said. "Dean, that plane is leaving with over a hundred passengers on board, and if we're right, that plane is gonna crash," Sam said.

"I know," Dean said. "Okay. So we're getting on the plane, we need to find that demon and exorcise it. I'll get the tickets. You and Scar get whatever you can out of the trunk. Whatever that will make it through the security. Meet me back here in five minutes," Sam said. I nodded in agreement but Dean just looked at Sam and me anxiously.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "No, not really," Dean replied. "What? What's wrong?" Sam asked. "Well, I kind of have this problem with, uh . . ." Dean said. "Flying?" Sam asked. "It's never really been an issue until now," Dean said. "You're joking, right?" Sam asked. "Do I look like I'm joking? Why do you think I drive everywhere, Sam?" Dean said.

"All right. Uh . . . Sam and I'll go," I said. "What?" Dean asked. "We'll do this one on our own," Sam said. "What are you both, nuts? Sam, you said it yourself, the plane's gonna crash," Dean said. "Dean, we can do it the three of us, or Scar and I can do this one by ourselves. I'm not seeing a third option, here," Sam said. "Come on! Really? Man . . ." Dean said.

Me and my brothers got on the plane. We were sitting down on our seats as the intercom spoke. Sam and I looked over at Dean, who was sitting next to Sam. He was anxiously reading the safety card. "Just try to relax," Sam told him. "Just try to shut up," Dean snapped. Sam chuckled a little while I smiled a little. The plane took off and Dean still looked anxiously. Sam and I looked at each other and smirked.

It's was a few minutes after we took off. I looked over at Dean and saw he humming to himself. Sam looked over as well and frowned. "You're humming Metallica?" I asked quietly. "Calms me down," Dean replied quietly. Sam let out a sigh, "Look, man, I get you're nervous, all right? But you got to stay focused. I mean, we got 32 minutes and counting to track this thing down, or whoever it's possessing, anyway, and perform a full-on exorcism," He said quietly.

"Yeah, on a crowded plane. That's gonna be easy," Dean said sarcastically. "Just take it one step at a time, all right? Now, who is it possessing?" I asked quietly. "It's usually gonna be somebody with some sort of weakness, you know, a chink in the armor that the demon can worm through. Somebody with an addiction or some sort of emotional distress," Dean said quietly.

"Well, this is Amanda's first flight after the crash. If I were her, I'd be pretty messed up," Sam said quietly. "Mm-hm," Dean said as he nodded before he turned to a Flight Attendant. "Excuse me. Are you Amanda?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm not," She said. "Oh, my mistake," Dean said with a smile. She smiled back and walked away. Dean looked at the back of the plane and then back at me and Sam. "All right, well, that's got to be Amanda back there, so I'll go talk to her, and, uh, I'll get a read on her mental state," Dean said quietly.

"What if she's already possessed?" I asked quietly. "There's ways to test that," Dean said quietly. Dean got into his bag and comes out with a bottle of water. "I brought holy water."

"No," Sam said as he snatched the bottle and tucked it inside his hoodie. "I think we can go more subtle. If she's possessed, she'll flinch at the name of God," I said quietly. "Oh. Nice," Dean said and he got up and turned to go.

"Hey," Sam said quietly. Dean leaned over. "What?" He asked quietly. "Say it in Latin," Sam said quietly. "I know," Dean said quietly and turned to go. "Okay. Hey!" Sam said quietly. Dean leaned over again. "What?!" He asked quietly. "Uh, in Latin, it's "Christo"," Sam said quietly. "Dude, I know! I'm not an idiot!" Dean said and he walked to the back of the plane.

A few minutes later, Dean come back and sat down on his seat. "All right, well, she's got to be the most well-adjusted person on the planet," Dean said sarcastically. "You said "Christo"?" Sam asked quietly. "Yeah," Dean said quietly. "And?" Sam asked quietly. "There's no demon in her. There's no demon getting in her," Dean said quietly. "So, if it's on the plane, it can be anyone. Anywhere," I said quietly.

The plane shook and Dean grabbed the arms on his seat. "Come on. That can't be normal," He said. "Hey, hey, it's just a little turbulence," Sam said. "Sam, this plane is going to crash, okay? So quit treating me like I'm friggin' four," Dean said quietly. "You need to calm down," Sam said quietly. "Well, I'm sorry I can't," Dean said quietly. "Yes, you can," Sam said quietly.

"Dude, stow the touchy-feely, self-help yoga crap, it's not helping," Dean said quietly. "Listen, if you're panicked, you're wide open to demonic possession, so you need to calm yourself down. Right now," I informed quietly. "Take slow breaths." Dean took a long, slow breath just like I said. "Good. Now, we found an exorcism in here that I think is gonna work. The Rituale Romanum," Sam said quietly.

"What do we have to do?" Dean asked. "It's two parts. The first part expels the demon from the victim's body. It makes it manifest, which actually makes it more powerful," Sam said quietly. "More powerful?" Dean asked quietly. "Yeah," Sam said quietly as he handed me the paper. "How?" Dean asked quietly.

"Well, it doesn't need to possess someone anymore. It can just wreak havoc on its own," I replied quietly. "Oh. And why is that a good thing?" Dean asked quietly. "Well, because the second part sends the bastard back to hell once and for all," Sam said quietly. "First things first, we got to find it," Dean said.

I went with Sam while Dean went to the other part of the plane. Sam and I walked back over to Dean to see he was using his EMF meter. Sam clapped Dean on his shoulder, and he jumped. "Don't do that," Dean said.

"Anything?" Sam asked. "No, nothing. How much time we got?" Dean asked. "Fifteen minutes," Sam replied. "Maybe we missed somebody," I said. "Maybe the thing's just not on the plane," Dean said. "You believe that?" Sam asked. "Well, I will if you will," Dean said.

Dean looked down as the EMF meter. "What? What is it?" I asked. Dean swallowed, "Christo," He whispered. I saw the Copilot turned slowly; his eyes were black. He walked into the cockpit. Me and my brothers looked at each other.

We then headed to the back of the plane towards Amanda. Dean went to tell her about what was happening, even though Sam and I objected. "She's not gonna believe this," Sam said. "Twelve minutes, dude," Dean said. We got to her and she turned to us. "Oh, hi. Flight's not too bumpy for you, I hope," Amanda said to Dean. "Actually, that's kind of what we need to talk to you about," Dean said as I closed the curtain.

"Um, okay. What can I do for you?" Amanda asked with a smile. "All right, this is gonna sound nuts, but we just don't have time for the whole "the truth is out there" speech right now," Dean said. "All right, look, we know you were on flight 2485," Sam said. Amanda's smile disappeared. "Who are you guys?" She asked. "Now, we've spoken to some of the other survivors. We know something brought down that plane and it wasn't a mechanical failure," Sam said.

"And we need your help because we need to stop it from happening again. Here. Now," Dean said. "I'm sorry, I - I'm very busy. I have to go back -" Amanda said and she tried to pass us but Dean stopped her. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait a second. I'm not gonna hurt you, okay? But listen to me, uh . . . The pilot in 2485, Chuck Lambert. He's dead," He said. "Wait. What? What, Chuck is dead?" She asked.

"He died in a plane crash. Now, that's two plane crashes in two months. That doesn't strike you as strange?" Dean asked. "I -" Amanda didn't know what to say. "Look, there was something wrong with 2485. Now maybe you sensed it, maybe you didn't. But there's something wrong with this flight, too," I said. "Amanda, you have to believe us," Dean said. "On . . . on 2485, there was this man. He . . . had these eyes," Amanda said.

"Yes. That's exactly what we're talking about," Sam said. "I don't understand, what are you asking me to do?" Amanda asked. "The copilot, we need you to bring him back here," I said. "Why? What does he have to do with anything?" Amanda asked. "Don't have time to explain. We just need to talk to him. Okay?" Dean asked. Amanda shook her head, "How am I supposed to go in the cockpit and get the copilot -"

"Do whatever it takes," Sam cut her off. "Tell him there's something broken back here, whatever will get him out of that cockpit."

"Do you know that I could lose my job if you -"

"Okay, well you're gonna lose a lot more if you don't help us out," Dean cut her off. I saw she was hesitated. "Okay," She agreed. She left and got to the cockpit. She knocked on the door and said something inaudible to the copilot, who followed her back. Sam pulled out the holy water and he handed it to me. I pulled out Dad's journal and handed it to Sam and he opened it.

The copilot walked in. "Yeah, what's the problem?" He asked. Dean punched him in the face, knocking him down. Amanda closed the closed the curtain as Dean pined the copilot down and I put duct tape over his mouth. "Wait. What are you doing? You said you were just gonna talk to him," Amanda said.

"We are gonna talk to him," I said. I splashed holy water on his skin, which sizzles. "Oh, my god. What's wrong with him?" Amanda asked. "Look. We need you calm. We need you outside the curtain," Sam said. "Well, I don't underst - I don't know -" Amanda said. "Don't let anybody in, okay? Can you do that? Can you do that? Amanda?" Sam asked. "Okay. Okay," She said and left.

"Hurry up, Sam. I don't know how much longer I can hold him," Dean said. "Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino -" Sam read in Latin. The Demon breaked free briefly and hit us until Dean and I managed to subdue him again. Sam picked up where he left off.

The Demon knocked me and Dean off again and pulled the tape off his mouth. He grabbed Sam by the collar. "I know what happened to your girlfriend! She must have died screaming! Even now, she's burning!"

Dean recovered and hit the Demon as Sam sat there, stunned. "Sam!" I said. Sam recovered and began reading again. He put the book down and helped me and Dean pin down the Demon. The Demon exited the copilot's body and disappeared into a vent. "Where'd it go?" Sam asked. "It's in the plane. Hurry up. We got to finish it," Dean said.

Suddenly, the plane dips and heaves violently. Sam and Dean were against the exit door. And I saw the book and managed to grab it. I've never done this before but it's up to me now. I read the rest of the exorcism. A bright electrical charge runs through the entire plane, which then levels out. I hared some people ask if everyone's okay. I saw Amanda sighed in relief. Sam and Dean come out from the curtain. Sam walked over and pulled me up to my feet. He pulled me to a hug and I wrapped my arms around him as I sighed in relief, glad that it was over.

The plane landed safely and we all came inside the airport. The passengers from the flight were disembarking to an area milling with uniformed agents. The copilot was seated in a wheelchair with a blanket wrapped around him, being questioned by an agent. Amanda was being questioned by another agent. "Anything else?" He asked. "No, that's all," Amanda said. Then she saw me and my brothers standing across the way and she mouths "Thank you." We nodded.

"Let's get out of here," Dean said and we headed for the exit. I looked up at Sam, who looked upset. "You okay?" I asked. Sam stopped and looked at me and Dean. "Guys, it knew about Jessica," He said. "Sam, these things, they, they read minds. They lie. All right? That's all it was," Dean said.

"Yeah," Sam said. "Come on," Dean said and we started to walk again. Dean then looked at me. "You did good," He said. I smirked up at him, "Better than you," I said to him. Sam laughed and Dean rolled his eyes, and ruffled my hair.

...

It was morning when we got back to Jerry. Me and Dean were leaned against the Impala. "Nobody knows what you guys did, but I do. A lot of people could have been killed," Jerry said. He hold his hand to Sam. Sam shook his hand. "Your Dad's gonna be real proud," Jerry said as he shook hands with Dean and then with me. "We'll see you around, Jerry," I said. Dean walked to his side and then stopped. "You know, Jerry," Dean started.

Jerry stopped and turned to us, "Yeah," He said. "I meant to ask you, how did you get my cellphone number, anyway? I've only had it for like six months," Dean said. "Your Dad gave it to me," Jerry replied.

My eyes grow wide. "What?" Sam asked. "When did you talk to him?" Dean asked. "I mean, I didn't exactly talk to him, but I called his number. His voice message said to give you a call. Thanks again, guys," Jerry said and left. The three of us looked at each other before climbing in the car.

... ...

After a while on the road, Dean stopped the car. We got out. I saw a plane with a red maple leaf on the tail flies overhead us. We leaned on the car's trunk. "This doesn't make any sense, man. I've called Dad's number like fifty times. It's been out of service," Sam said as Dean dialed Dad's number. Then He put it on speaker so me and Sam will hear.

' _This is John Winchester. I can't be reached. If this is an emergency, call my older son, Dean. 785-555-0179. He can help_.'

Dean closed his phone as Sam, without a word, climbed in the car. I followed and then Dean. We drove off.


	13. 5-1 Bloody Mary

**Third Person POV**  
Dean parked the car. He looked at the rearview mirror and saw Scarlett sleeping. He looked at the passenger seat and saw Sam sleeping also. But Sam seems to have a nightmare again. "Sam, wake up," Dean said. But instead he woke Scarlett. Dean looked at her. "Sorry, sis," He said. Then he smacked Sam behind his head. Which woke him up. "Ow!" Sam said.

"Oops. Did I wake you up?" Dean asked sarcastically. Sam looked around and then at Dean. "I take it I was having a nightmare," Sam said. "Yeah, another one," Dean replied. "Hey, at least I got some sleep," Sam said. "You know, sooner or later we're gonna have to talk about this," Dean said.

Sam sighed and looked around. "Are we here?" He asked. "Yup. Welcome to Toledo, Ohio," Dean said. Sam grabbed the newspaper.

'The Shoemaker family is sad to announce the sudden death of their beloved husband and father Steven Shoemaker. Steven was 46.'

"So what do you think really happened to this guy?" Sam asked. "That's what we're gonna find out," Dean said and he opened the door. "Let's go," He said. "How about you guys go. I will stay here," Scarlett suggested.

Sam and Dean frowned and turned around to look at her. "You okay?" Dean asked. Scarlett nodded. "Yeah," She replied quietly. Sam frowned and he put his hand on her forehead. Then he moved his hand to her cheeks.

"I think she has a fever," Sam said. "Scar, you don't feel good?" Dean asked. "A little," Scarlett admitted. "Okay, you will stay here. We'll be back quick," Dean said. Scarlett nodded. Dean left a window open for her and he and Sam got out of the car and walked to the large building.

 **Scarlett POV**  
After 20 minutes, Sam and Dean come back. "Well?" I asked. "Might not be one of ours. Might just be some freak medical thing," Sam said to me. Dean looked at him. "How many times in Dad's long and varied career has it actually been a freak medical thing and not some sign of an awful supernatural death?" Dean asked. "Uh, almost never," Sam said. "Exactly," Dean said. Sam sighed. "All right, let's go talk to the daughter," He said.

He looked at me and then at Dean. "But, maybe we should first go to a Doctor," He said. Dean looked at me and then back at Sam and nodded. "I'm fine," I said. Sam put his hand on my forehead again. "You burning up," He said. "Okay, let's go to the Doctor first and then talk to the daughter," Dean said. Sam nodded and I sighed as Dean started the car.

... ...

Sam and Dean took me to a Doctor. After that Dean took us to a Hotel and we got a room. I was forced to stay in the room, by the Doctor orders, to rest for a few days. Dean and Sam left to talk with Steven's daughter. But not before they both made me go to bed and rest.

Half an hour passed, and they came back and told me what the daughter said. "So it's really is Bloody Mary?" I asked. "We don't know yet. We'll check it out," Dean said. I nodded. "So what are we going to do?" I asked. "Well, Dean and I going to the library and you staying here to rest," Sam said.

"What? No, I went to go with you guys," I said. "Scar, you need to rest. That's what the Doctor said," Dean said. "You guys know I never listening to a doctor," I said and my brothers chuckled. "Please," I begged. Sam sighed. "Fine," He said and Dean sighed. I smiled.

... ...

We got to the town library. "All right, say Bloody Mary really is haunting this town. There's gonna be some sort of proof - Like a local woman who died nasty," Dean said. "Yeah, but a legend this widespread it's hard. I mean, there's like 50 versions of who she actually is. One story says she's a witch, another says she's a mutilated bride, there's a lot more," Sam said. "All right so what are we supposed to be looking for?" Dean asked.

"Every version's got a few things in common. It's always a woman named Mary, and she always dies right in front of a mirror. So we've gotta search local newspapers - public records as far back as they go. See if we can find a Mary who fits the bill," I said. Sam nodded.

"Well that sounds annoying," Dean said. "No it won't be so bad, as long as we . . ." Sam stopped as we looked at the computers and they all say "Out of Order" on them. Sam chuckled. "I take it back. This will be very annoying."

 **Third Person POV**  
Dean was sitting on a chair next to a table, with the books while Scarlett and Sam were sleeping. Sam jolted awake and looked around. Dean glanced up at him. Sam looked down at his little sister that was sleeping on his chest and then back at Dean.

"Why'd you let me fall asleep?" Sam asked in a low tone. "Cause I'm an awesome brother. So what did you dream about?" Dean asked. "Lollipops and candy canes," Sam said sarcastically.

"Yeah, sure," Dean said. Scarlett woke up and looked up at Dean as Sam sat up. "Did you find anything?" She asked tiredly. "Besides a whole new level of frustration? No. I looked at everything. A few local women, a Laura and a Catherine committed suicide in front of a mirror, and a giant mirror fell on a guy named Dave, but uh, no Mary," Dean said.

Sam fell back on the bed. "Maybe we just haven't found it yet," Sam said. "I also been searching for strange deaths in the area, you know . . . eyeball bleeding, that sort of thing. There's nothing. Whatever's happening here, maybe it just ain't Mary," Dean said. Then Sam's phone rang and he answered it. "Hello?" Sam asked.


	14. 5-2 Charlie

**Scarlett POV**  
We were in the park with the girl, Charlie on a bench. Charlie was sitting, I sat next to her while Dean was sitting on the back of the bench, and Sam was standing. Charlie told us what happened to her friend, Jill. "And they found her on the bathroom floor. And her - her eyes. They were gone," Charlie cried.

"I'm sorry," Sam said softly. "And she said it. I heard her say it. But it couldn't be because of that. I'm insane, right?" Charlie asked as she looked at us. "No, you're not insane," I said. "Oh God, that makes me feel so much worse," Charlie said. "Look. We think something's happening here. Something that can't be explained," Sam said. "And we're gonna stop it but we could use your help," Dean said.

... ...

Sam, Dean and I waited at the window of Jill's room. Charlie came and opened it. I got in first, Sam got in second and then Dean throw Sam the duffel bag and got in. Sam set the duffel bag on the bed and started going through it.

"What did you tell Jill's mom?" Sam asked. "Just that I needed some time alone with Jill's pictures and things," Charlie replied. Sam pulled a digital camera out of the bag as Dean closed the curtains. "I hate lying to her," Charlie said.

"Trust us, this is for the greater good. Hit the lights," Dean said. Charlie walked over and turned off the lights. "What are you guys looking for?" She asked as she stood next to me. "We'll let you know as soon as we find it," Dean said.

Sam had the digital camera ready, and handed it to Dean, "Night vision." Dean turned on the night vision for him. "Thanks. Perfect," Sam said. He pointed the digital camera at Dean. Dean made a pose. "Do I look like Paris Hilton?"

Sam, Charlie and I smirked before Sam walked away with the camera. He opened Jill's closet door and begins filming around the mirror. "I don't get it. I mean . . . the first victim didn't summon Mary, and the second victim did. How's she choosing them?" Sam asked.

Dean and I shrugged. "Beats me," He said as Sam closed the closet door. Dean looked at Charlie. "I want to know why Jill said it in the first place," He said.

"It's just a joke," She replied. "Yeah well somebody's gonna say it again, it's just a matter of time," Dean said. Sam walked to the bathroom and I followed. He film around the mirror when he stopped. I walked over, "What is it?" I asked and saw trickles of something running out from behind the mirror. My brother and I exchanged glances. I walked to the doorway and looked at Dean and Charlie. "Hey," I said. They both looked at me. "There's a black light in the trunk, right?"

Dean went back to the car to get the black light and came back with it. Sam carried the mirror out to Jill's bed and lay it on the bed upside down. Dean throw him the black light and he peel off the brown paper that is on the back of the mirror. He shined the black light over the back of the mirror and we saw a handprint, and the words "Gary Bryman."

"Gary Bryman?" Charlie read. I looked at her, "Do you know who that is?" I asked. She looked at me and shook her head. "No."

... ...

Dean, Charlie and I were talking on a bench. "So," Sam started as he walked over to us. "Gary Bryman was an 8-year-old boy. Two years ago he was killed in a hit and run. The car was described as a black Toyota Camry. But nobody got the plates or saw the driver," Sam said. "Oh my God," Charlie said. Sam, Dean and I looked at her. "What?" I asked.

"Jill drove that car," Charlie replied. My brothers and I exchanged glances. "We need to get back to your friend Donna's house," Dean said.

We got to Steven's house. Me, Sam and Dean were hunched over the back of the mirror with the black light. There was a handprint on it, and the words "Linda Shoemaker". "Linda Shoemaker," Sam read. We looked at each other.

We walked downstairs to talk with the older daughter, Donna. "Why are you asking me this?" Donna asked. "Look, we're sorry, but it's important," Sam said. "Yeah. Linda's my mom okay? She overdosed on sleeping pills, it was an accident, and that's it. I think you should leave," Donna said.

"Now Donna, just listen -"

"Just get out of my house!" Donna cut Dean off and ran upstairs.

Charlie looked at us as she stood in front of us. "Oh my God. Do you really think her Dad could've killed her Mom?" She asked. "Maybe," I mumbled. "I think I should stick around," Charlie said. "All right. Whatever you do, don't . . ." Dean said. "Believe me, I won't say it," Charlie said.

... ...

We went back at the hotel room. Dean was at a computer. "Wait, you're doing a nationwide search?" I asked. "Yep. The NCIC, the FBI database - at this point any Mary who died in front of a mirror is good enough for me," Dean said.

"But if she's haunting the town, she should have died in the town," Sam said. "I'm telling you there's nothing local, I've checked. So unless you got a better idea," Dean said. "The way Mary's choosing her victims, it seems like there's a pattern," I said.

"I know, I was thinking the same thing," Dean said. "With mister Shoemaker and Jill's hit and run," Sam said. "Both had secrets where people died," I said. "Right. I mean there's a lot of folklore about mirrors - that they reveal all your lies, all your secrets, that they're a true reflection of your soul, which is why it's bad luck to break them," Sam said. "Right, right. So maybe if you've got a secret, I mean like a really nasty one where someone died, then Mary sees it, and punishes you for it," Dean said.

"Whether you're the one that summoned her or not," Sam said. "Take a look at this," Dean said. Dean printed several pictures of a woman lying by a mirror in a puddle of blood. I saw in the picture that there was a handprint and the letters "Tre".

"Looks like the same handprint," Sam said. "Her name was Mary Worthington - an unsolved murder in Fort Wayne, Indiana," Dean said.

... ...

We went to talk to a detective agency in his house. "I was on the job for 35 years-detective for most of that. Now everybody packs it in with a few loose ends, but the Mary Worthington murder - that one still gets me," The detective said. "What exactly happened?" Dean asked. The man frowned.

"You boys said you were reporters?" He asked Sam and Dean. "We know Mary was 19, lived by herself. We know she won a few local beauty contests, dreamt of getting out of Indiana, being an actress. And we know the night of March 29th someone broke into her apartment and murdered her, cut out her eyes with a knife," Sam said.

The detective nodded. "That's right," He said. "See sir, when we asked you what happened, we wanted to know what you think happened," Dean said. The detective pulled some files out of a file cabinet.

"Technically I'm not supposed to have a copy of this," He said. He opened a file to the picture we found on the computer. "Now see that there? T-R-E?" He asked. I nodded. "Yeah," I said. "I think Mary was trying to spell out the name of her killer," The detective said.

"You know who it was?" Sam asked. "Not for sure. But there was a local man, a surgeon- Trevor Sampson," The detective said as he pulled out a picture of a man. "And I think her cut her up good," The detective said. "Why would he do something like that?" I asked. "Her diary mentioned a man that she was seeing. She called him by his initial, "T". Well, her last entry, she was gonna tell "T"'s wife about their affair," The detective replied.

"Yeah, but how do you know it was Sampson who killed her?" Dean asked. "It's hard to say, but the way her eyes were cut out . . . it was almost professional," The detective replied. "But you could never prove it?" Dean asked.

"No. No prints, no witnesses. He was meticulous," The detective replied. "Is he still alive?" Dean asked. "Nope," The detective said. He sat down on his chair and sighed. "If you ask me, Mary spent her last living moments trying to expose this guy's secret. But she never could," He said.

"Where's she buried?" Sam asked. "She wasn't. She was cremated," The detective replied. "What about that mirror," Dean said as he nod at the one in the picture. "It's not in some evidence lockup somewhere is it?" The detective shook his head. "Ah, no. It was returned to Mary's family a long time ago," He replied. "You have the names of her family by any chance?" I asked.


	15. 5-3 Stay Here

We drove down the road while Sam was talking on his phone. "Oh really? Ah that's too bad Mr. Worthington. I would have paid a lot for that mirror. Okay, well maybe next time. All right, thanks," Sam said and he hang up.

"So?" Dean asked. "So that was Mary's brother. The mirror was in the family for years, until he sold it one week ago to a store called Estate Antiques. A store in Toledo," Sam informed. "So wherever the mirror goes, that's where Mary goes?" I asked. "Her spirit's definitely tied up with it somehow," Sam replied.

"Isn't there an old superstition that says mirrors can capture spirits?" Dean asked. "Yeah there is. Yeah, when someone would die in a house people would cover up the mirrors so the ghost wouldn't get trapped," Sam said. "So Mary dies in front of a mirror, and it draws in her spirit," I said.

"Yeah, but how could she move through like a hundred different mirrors?" Sam asked. "I don't know, but if the mirror is the source, I say we find it and smash it," Dean said. "Yeah, I don't know, maybe," Sam said. Then his phone rang and he answered it. "Hello."

... ...

Sam, Dean and I took Charlie to our hotel room. Charlie sat on the bed with her head on her knees and Sam, Dean and I have all of the curtains drawn shut, and are throwing sheets over the mirrors, or facing them to the wall or floor. After that I sat next to Charlie. "Hey, hey it's ok. Hey, you can open up your eyes Charlie. It's okay, all right?" I said softly.

Charlie looked up slowly and Sam kneeled down. "Now listen. You're gonna stay right here on this bed, and you're not gonna look at glass, or anything else that has a reflection, okay? And as long as you do that, she cannot get you," Sam said softly.

"But I can't keep that up forever. I'm gonna die, aren't I?" Charlie asked. "No. No. Not anytime soon," Sam said. Dean sat on the bed too, "All right Charlie. We need to know what happened."

"We were in the bathroom. Donna said it," Charlie said. "That's not what we're talking about," Dean said. Charlie looked up at him. "Something happened, didn't it? In your life . . . a secret . . . where someone got hurt," Dean said and a tear fell from Charlie's cheek. "Can you tell us about it?" Dean asked.

"I had this boyfriend. I loved him. But he kind of scared me too, you know? And one night, at his house, we got in this fight. Then I broke up with him, and he got upset, and he said he needed me and he loved me, and he said, 'Charlie, if you walk out that door right now, I'm gonna kill myself.' And you know what I said? I said 'Go ahead.' And I left. How could I say that? How could I leave him like that? I just . . . I didn't believe him, you know? I should have," Charlie said. Then she put her face back on her knees and started crying again.

... ...

Sam, Dean and I left Charlie in the room and we drove in the rain. "You know her boyfriend killing himself, that's not really Charlie's fault," Dean said. "You know that spirits don't exactly see shades of gray, Dean. Charlie had a secret, someone died, that's good enough for Mary," I said. "I guess," Dean said. "You know, I've been thinking. It might not be enough to just smash that mirror," Sam said. "What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"Well Mary's hard to pin down, right? I mean she moves around from mirror to mirror so who's to say that she's not just gonna keep hiding in them forever? So maybe we should try to pin her down, you know, summon her to her mirror and then smash it," Sam said. "How do you know that's going to work?" I asked. "I don't, not for sure," Sam said. "Well, who's gonna summon her?" Dean asked. "I will. She'll come after me," Sam said.

My eyes grow wide. "You know what, that's it," Dean said and he pulled the car over. Dean and I looked at Sam. "This is about Jessica, isn't it?" Dean asked. Sam didn't replied. "You think that's your dirty little secret that you killed her somehow?" Dean asked. "Sam, this has got to stop. I mean, the nightmares and calling her name out in the middle of the night - it's gonna kill you," I said.

"Now listen to me - It wasn't your fault. If you wanna blame something, then blame the thing that killed her. Or hell, why don't you take a swing at me? I mean Scar and I the ones that dragged you away from her in the first place," Dean said.

"I don't blame you," Sam said. "You shouldn't blame yourself, because there's nothing you could've done," I said. "I could've warned her," Sam said. "About what? You didn't know what was gonna happen! And besides, all of this isn't a secret, I mean Scar and I know all about it. It's not gonna work with Mary anyway," Dean said. "No you don't," Sam said.

I frowned. "Don't what?" I asked. "You guys don't know all about it. I haven't told you everything," Sam said. "What are you talking about?" Dean asked. "Well it wouldn't really be a secret if I told you, would it?" Sam said.

"No. I don't like it. It's not gonna happen, forget it," I snapped. "Scar, that girl back there is going to die unless we do something about it. And you know what? Who knows how many more people are gonna die after that? Now we're doing this. You two got to let me do this," Sam said.

Dean and I didn't like Sam's idea but we agreed. We took a crowbars as we got to the shop. I tried to pick the lock on the door. It opened and we saw many mirrors. "Well . . . that's just great," Dean said sarcastically. He pulled out the picture of Mary's dead body to look at the mirror. "All right, let's start looking," Sam said. We split up and walked around the store.

"Maybe they've already sold it," I said. "I don't think so," Sam said. Me and Dean walked over and Dean pulled out the picture again to compare. It's the mirror. "That's it," Dean said. I sighed and looked at Sam. "You sure about this?" I asked. Sam handed me his flashlight. I took it and Sam sighed as he looked at the mirror. "Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary," Sam said and he looked at Dean and I, we both gave him an unsure look. Sam picked up the crowbar. "Bloody Mary."

We saw a light coming through the store. "We'll go check that out. Stay here, be careful," Dean said. Sam readied the crowbar again. "Smash anything that moves," I said to him and walked away with Dean.

We crawled away toward the front door and saw a headlight. "Crap," Dean said and he looked at me. "You stay here. I'll deal with it." I nodded and he put the crowbar down and walked out the door. I saw there were only two policemen.

I heard something smashed and I know it's Sam. I looked back at the door and saw that Dean was talking with the cops. I felt something's not right, because I haven't heard Sam smashes mirrors anymore. I walked back to check up on him.

"You never told her the truth - who you really were." I rushed over and saw Sam falling to the ground, in pain.

"But it's more than that, isn't it? Those nightmares you've been having of Jessica dying, screaming, burning - You had them for days before she died. Didn't you!? You were so desperate to ignore them, to believe they were just dreams. How could you ignore them like that? How could you leave her alone to die!? You dreamt it would happen!"

I smashed the mirror with my crowbar. I bend down to the floor to Sam. "Sam," I said and grabbed his face. "Sammy!" I said. I saw blood had come out of his eyes. "It's Sam," He said quietly as Dean rushed over to us. "God, are you okay?" Dean asked.

"Uh, yeah," Sam replied. "Come on, come on," Dean said and we both pulled Sam up. Me and Dean put our arms around Sam and we started to walk out.

But, then we stopped as we heard something behind us. We turned around slowly and saw Mary, crawling over the broken glass. I started having trouble breathing and I felt blood coming out of my eyes. I know that my brothers having it to. We fall to the ground as Mary walked towards us.

Dean reached up and pulled over a mirror so that Mary was forced to see her own reflection. "You killed them! All those people! You killed them!"

Mary started choking to death and melt into a pile of blood. Dean throw down the mirror he held and it shatters. "Hey guys?" Dean started. "Yeah?" Sam and I asked at the same time. "This has got to be like . . . What? 600 years of bad luck?" Dean asked. We both chuckled weakly.

...

The next morning, we drove with Charlie to her house. Charlie was sitting with me in the back seat. Dean pulled up in front of her house. "So this is really over?" Charlie asked. Dean nodded, "Yeah, it's over."

Charlie looked at us. "Thank you," She said. Dean reached back to shake her hand, and then she got out of the car. "Bye," I said. She smiled at me. "Bye Scar," She said and I smiled. She started to walk to her house.

"Charlie?" Sam called and she turned around. "Your boyfriend's death . . . You really should try to forgive yourself. No matter what you did, you probably couldn't have stopped it. Sometimes bad things just happen," Sam said.

Charlie smiled faintly, then turned around to go into the house. Dean gently hit Sam on the shoulder and Sam looked at him. "That's good advice," Dean said. We smiled and we drive off.

"Hey Sam?" Dean started as I leaned forward. "Yeah?" Sam asked. "Now that this is all over, I want you to tell us what that secret is," Dean said. Sam looked between me and Dean and sighed.

"Look . . . You both my siblings and I'd die for you, but there are some things I need to keep to myself," He said.

I didn't like the answer and I know that Dean didn't like it as well. I sat back to my spot and looked out the window and sighed. I looked back at my brothers and frowned as I saw Sam looked like he saw a ghost.

"Hey Sam, are you okay?" I asked. Sam looked at me. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," He said and gave me a smile. I smiled back and then I leaned forward. "So," I started as I looked at Sam. "Just one secret, please."

Sam smirked. "No," He said. "Oh please. Just tell me one secret," I begged. Sam and Dean laughed.


	16. 6-1 Skin

Sam, Dean and I pulled into a gas station. "Alright, I figure we'd hit Tucumcari by lunch, then head south, hit Bisbee by midnight," Dean said. I nodded but Sam didn't responded. "Sam wears women's underwear," Dean joked. "I knew it!" I joked and Dean laughed.

"I've been listenin', I'm just busy," Sam said as he checking something on his PalmPilot. "Doin' what?" I asked. "Reading e-mails," Sam replied. Dean got out of the car and started to fill the tank with gas. "E-mails from who?" Dean asked. "From my friends at Stanford," Sam replied.

"You're kidding. You still keep in touch with your college buddies?" Dean asked. "Why not?" Sam said. "Well, what exactly do you tell 'em? You know, about where you've been, what you've been doin'?" Dean asked. "I tell 'em I'm on a road trip with my big brother and my little sister. I tell 'em I needed some time off after Jess," Sam said.

"So you lie to 'em," I said. "No. I just don't tell 'em . . . Everything," Sam said. Dean nodded. "Yeah, that's called lying. I mean, hey, man, I get it, tellin' the truth is far worse," He said. "So, what am I supposed to do, just cut everybody out of my life?" Sam asked.

Dean shrugged. "You're serious?" Sam asked. "Look, it sucks, but in a job like this, you can't get close to people, period," Dean said. "You're kind of anti-social, you know that?" Sam said and I giggled.

"Yeah, whatever," Dean said as Sam continues to read his e-mails. "God . . ." Sam mumbled. "What?" I asked. "In this e-mail from this girl, Rebecca Warren, one of those friends of mine," Sam replied. "Is she hot?" Dean asked but Sam and I ignored him.

"I went to school with her, and her brother, Zack. She says Zack's been charged with murder. He's been arrested for killing his girlfriend. Rebecca says he didn't do it, but it sounds like the cops have a pretty good case," Sam informed.

"Dude, what kind of people are you hangin' out with?" Dean asked. "No, man, I know Zack. He's no killer," Sam said. "Well, maybe you know Zack as well as he knows you," Dean said but Sam ignored him again. "They're in St. Louis. We're going," Sam said.

Dean chuckled. "Look, sorry 'bout your buddy, okay? But this does not sound like our kind of problem," He said. "It is our problem. They're my friends," Sam said. "St. Louis is four hundred miles behind us, Sam," Dean said.

Sam looked at me and then I looked at Dean. Dean looked between us and then sighed. "Fine," He said. We pulled out of the gas station and started driving to St. Louis.

... ...

We pulled in front of a house. Rebecca's. We walked to the door and Sam rang the bell as me and Dean stood at both of his sides. After a few seconds, a blond girl opened the door. It's must be Rebecca.

"Oh my God, Sam!" She said happily. "Well, if it isn't little Becky," Sam teased. Rebecca grinned. "You know what you can do with that little Becky crap," She said and they hugged. "I got your e-mail," Sam said as they pulled away. "I didn't think that you would come here," Rebecca said.

Dean stepped forward and extended his hand. "Dean. Older brother," Dean said and they shook hands. "Hi," Rebecca said with a smile. "Hi," Dean said with a smile. "This is our little sister, Scarlett," Sam said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

Rebecca smiled. "Hey," She said and we shook hands. "Hello," I said with a smile. "We're here to help. Whatever we can do," Sam said. Rebecca smiled. "Come in," She said and we walked inside the house, and Dean shut the door.

"Nice place," Dean said. "It's my parents'. I was just crashing here for the long weekend when everything happened. I decided to take the semester off. I'm gonna stay until Zack's free," Rebecca said. "Where are your folks?" Sam asked.

"They live in Paris for half the year, so they're on their way home now for the trial," Rebecca replied. We enter the kitchen. "Do you guys want a beer or something?" Rebecca asked. Dean smiled, "Hey -"

"No, thanks," Sam cut him off and he shot him a look. "I want a juice," I said. Rebecca smiled and opened the fridge while Dean wrapped his arms around my shoulders. Rebecca handed me a orange juice. "Hope you like orange juice," She said with a smile. I smiled. "Thank you," I said. "So, tell us what happened," Sam said.

"Well, um, Zack came home, and he found Emily tied to a chair. And she was beaten up and bloody, and she wasn't breathing. So, he called 911, and the police - they showed up, and they arrested him. But, the thing is, the only way that Zack could've killed Emily is if he was in two places at the same time. The police - they have a video. It's from the security tape from across the street. And it shows Zack coming home at 10:30. Now, Emily was killed just after that, but I swear, he was here with me, having a few beers until at least after midnight," Rebecca explained.

"You know, maybe we could see the crime scene. Zack's house," Sam said. "We could," Dean said. "Why? I mean, what could you do?" Rebecca asked. "Well, me and Scar, not much. But Dean's a cop," Sam said. Dean laughed a little. "Detective, actually," He said. "Really?" Rebecca asked and Dean nodded. "Where?"

"Bisbee, Arizona. But I'm off-duty now," Dean said. "You guys, it's so nice to offer, but I just - I don't know," Rebecca said. "Bec, look, I know Zack didn't do this. Now, we have to find a way to prove that he's innocent," Sam said. Rebecca smiled a little. "Okay. I'm gonna go get the keys," She said and she walked away, down the hall.

Dean whistled as he turned around to look at our brother. "Oh, yeah, you're a real straight shooter with your friends," He comment. "Look, Zack and Becky need our help," Sam said. "I just don't think this is our kind of problem," Dean said. "Two places at once? We've looked into less," Sam said. Dean sighed but didn't say anything.

We drove to Zack's house. The four of us climbed out of the car and walked to the house. "You're sure this is okay?" Rebecca asked Dean. "Yeah. I am an officer of the law," Dean said. He, Sam and I walked in under the police tape and looked around. We saw the furniture and walls of the house are smeared with blood.

I looked back and saw Rebecca was still on the porch steps. "Rebecca, you wanna wait outside?" I asked. Rebecca shook her head and she walked under the police tape as she spoke, "No. I wanna help."

"Tell us what else the police said," Sam said. "Well, there's no sign of a break-in. They say that Emily let her attacker in. The lawyers - they're already talking about plea bargain," Rebecca replied and she looked around the room, with tears in her eyes. "Oh, God . . ."

"Look, Bec, if Zack didn't do this, it means someone else did. Any idea who?" Sam asked. Rebecca shook her head, but then she remembered something. "Um, there was something, about a week before. Somebody broke in here and stole some clothes - Zack's clothes. The police - they don't think it's anything. I mean, we're not that far from downtown. Sometimes people get robbed," She said. Sam and I nodded and we walked away.

We both looked in the kitchen, looking at the picture of Sam, Rebecca and a man on the fridge. "Is that Zack?" I asked. "Yeah," Sam replied and then we stayed quiet. I looked away from the picture and saw Dean walking up to us. "So, the neighbor's dog went psycho right around the time Zack's girlfriend was killed," Dean said.

"Animals can have a sharp sense of the paranormal," I said. "Yeah, maybe Fido saw something'," Dean said. "So, you think maybe this is our kind of problem?" Sam asked with a small smile. "No. Probably not. But we should look at the security tape, you know, just to make sure," Dean said. Sam and I chuckled a little.

"Yeah," Sam said. "Yeah," Dean repeated. Rebecca walked over to us. "So, the tape. The security footage - you think maybe your lawyers could get their hands on it, 'cause I just don't have that kind of jurisdiction," Dean said.

"I've already got it. I didn't wanna say something in front of the cop," Rebecca said. Dean chuckled a little. "I stole it off the lawyer's desk. I just had to see it for myself," Rebecca said. "All right," Dean said and the four of us left Zack's house.


	17. 6-2 Our Kind Of A Problem

We were back at Rebecca's house. We sat in the living room and the four of us watched the security footage. "Here he comes," Rebecca said. The tape showed Zack walked to his house. "22:04, that's just after ten. You said time of death was about 10:30," Dean said.

"Our lawyers hired some kind of video expert. He says the tape's authentic. It wasn't tampered with," Rebecca replied. "Hey, Bec, can we take those beers now?" Sam asked. "Oh, sure," Rebecca said and she got up.

"Hey," Sam called again and Rebecca turned around. "Maybe some sandwiches, too?" He asked with a smile. Rebecca chuckled. "What do you think this is, Hooters?" She asked and then left. Dean chuckled. "I wish," He mumbled. Dean and I walked over to Sam. "What is it?" I asked. "Check this out," Sam said and he rewind the tape, then replay it.

One of the frames show Zack looking directly at the camera. His eyes were silver. Sam paused the tape. "Well, maybe it's just a camera flare," Dean said. "That's not like any camera flare I've ever seen," Sam said. "You know, a lot of cultures believe that a photograph can catch a glimpse of the soul," I said.

"Right," Dean said. "Remember that dog that was freakin' out? Maybe he saw this thing. Maybe this is some kind of dark double of Zack's, something that looks like him but isn't him," I said. "Like a Doppelganger," Dean said. "Yeah. It'd sure explain how he was two places at once," Sam said.

...

The next morning, me and my brothers got to Zack's house early in the morning. Dean parked the car behind the house and we got out. "Alright, so what are we doin' here at 5:30 in the morning?" Dean asked as he hold his coffee in his hand. "I realized something. The videotape shows the killer goin' in, but not comin' out," Sam said.

"So, he came out the back door?" I asked. "Right. So, there should be a trail to follow. A trail the police would never pursue," Sam said as he crossed the road and looked around the outside of the house.

"'Cause they think the killer never left. And they caught your friend Zack inside," Dean said and he leaned against the hood of the car. "I still don't know what we're doin' here at 5:30 in the morning," He mumbled.

I looked back at Sam and the three of us saw blood smeared on a nearby telephone pole. "Blood. Somebody came this way," I said. "Yeah, but the trail ends. I don't see anything over here," Dean said. Then we saw an ambulance drive past us, and we exchange a look and we walked to see what is going on.

We walked to the house that the ambulance drive. We saw a Asian man was handcuffed. "What happened?" Dean asked a woman that was looking at the scene as well. "He tried to kill his wife. Tied her up and beat her," She replied. "Really?" Sam asked.

The woman nodded. The Asian man was stepping into a police car as the woman said to us, "I used to see him going to work in the morning. He'd wave, say hello. He seemed like such a nice guy."

We watched the man get taken away. Me and my brothers looked at each other before Dean nodded. Sam and I walked to the side of the house, looking around. I couldn't find nothing. Then I found a trail of the back of the building.

"Hey," Dean called behind us. We turned around and looked at him. "Remember when I said this wasn't our kind of problem?" He asked. "Yeah," Sam and I said at the same time. "Definitely our kind of problem," Dean said.

"What'd you find out?" Sam asked. "Well, I just talked to the patrolman who was first on the scene, heard this guy, Alex's story. Apparently the dude was driving home from a business trip when his wife was attacked," Dean said.

"So, he was two places at once," I said. "Exactly. Then he sees himself in the house, police think he's a nutjob," Dean said. "Two dark doubles attacking loved ones in exactly the same way," Sam said. "Could be the same thing doin' it, too," Dean said.

"Shapeshifter?" I asked. Dean shrugged. "Something that can make itself look like anyone?" Sam asked. "Every culture in the world has a shapeshifter lore. You know, legends of creatures who can transform themselves into animals or others," Dean said.

"Right, skinwalkers, werewolves," I said. "We've got two attacks within blocks of each other. I'm guessin' we've got a shapeshifter prowlin' the neighborhood," Dean said.

"Let me ask you this - in all this shapeshifter lore, can any of them fly?" I asked. My brothers frowned. "Not that I know of," Dean said. "I picked up a trail here. Someone ran out the back of this building and headed off this way," I said. "Just like your friend's house," Dean said to Sam. "Yeah," Sam said.

"And, just like at Zack's house, the trail suddenly ends. I mean, whatever it is just disappeared," I said. "Well, there's another way to go - down," Dean said. We looked down and notice a manhole that leads to the sewer.

We climb down the sewer. Dean was first, I was second and Sam after me. We started looking around. "I bet this runs right by Zack's house, too," Sam said. "The shapeshifter could be using the sewer system to get around," I said. "I think you're right," Dean said and we saw something on the floor. "Look at this."

We bend down and examine a pile of blood and skin on the ground. "Is this from his victims?" Sam asked. Dean took out a pocketknife and hold up some of the skin. "You know, I just had a sick thought. When the shapeshifter changes shape - maybe it sheds," Dean said. "That is just sick," I said. Dean put the bloody pile back on the ground.

We got out of the sewer to get to the car. Dean opened the trunk and took out some weapons. "Well, one thing Scar and I learned from Dad, is that no matter what kind of shapeshifter it is, there's one sure way to kill it," Dean said. "Silver bullet to the heart," Sam said with a smirk. "That's right," Dean said.

Suddenly, Sam's phone rang and he answered it. "This is Sam," He said as he walked away a bit. Dean handed me a gun and I looked at Sam before looking back at Dean. Dean closed the trunk and we watched Sam talking on the phone. I know he was talking to Rebecca.

Dean and I walked over to Sam once he put his phone back to his pocket and looked disappointed. "I hate to say it, but that's exactly what I'm talkin' about," Dean said. "You lie to your friends because if they knew the real you, they'd be freaked. It's just - it'd be easier if -"

"If I was like you," Sam cut Dean off. "Hey, man, like it or not, we are not like other people. But I'll tell you one thing. This whole gig - it ain't without perks," Dean said and he hold up a gun for him. Sam chuckled a little and took the gun. He put it in the back of his jeans as we walked away.


	18. 6-3 'Dean'

We got back to the sewer, looking around with our flashlights and the guns. "I think we're close to its lair," Dean said. "Why do you say that?" Sam asked. "Because there's another puke-inducing pile next to your face," Dean replied. I saw Sam turned and saw another pile of blood and skin on a nearby pipe.

I looked at it, disgusted. We looked around the area and saw a pile of clothes in a corner. "Looks like it's lived here for a while," Dean said. "Who knows how many murders he's gotten away with?" Sam said.

I turned around and saw the shapeshifter behind Dean. "Dean!" I yelled to my brother. He turned and got punched by the shapeshifter.

Dean fell to the ground and hit his left shoulder. The shapeshifter ran away as Sam and I started to shoot after it a few times but we missed.

Then we moved over to Dean and got him up. "Get the son of a bitch!" Dean said and we ran after the shapeshifter.

We came out of the manhole and looked around the street. "All right, let's split up," Sam said. "All right, I'll meet you both around the other side. Stay together," Dean said. "All right," I said.

Sam wrapped an arm around my shoulder and we and Dean walked away in separate directions. Sam and I were looking in the street, while keeping our guns inside our jackets.

After a little while, Sam and I were at the street corner, waiting for Dean. "Hey," Dean called behind us and we turned around. "Anything?" He asked as he put his hand on my shoulder. "No. He's gone," Sam replied.

"All right, let's get back to the car," Dean said. Sam and I crossed the street and Dean followed behind.

"Do you think he found another way underground?" I asked. "Yeah, probably," Dean replied as we stopped at the car. "Hey, where's the keys?" Dean asked. Sam and I stopped and looked at each other before turning around.

"Hey, didn't Dad once face a shapeshifter in San Antonio?" Sam asked. "Oh, that was Austin. It turned out not to be a shapeshifter, it was a thought form. A psychic projection, remember?" 'Dean' asked.

Sam and I nodded. "Oh, right. Here ya go," Sam said and he throw 'Dean' the keys and he caught them with his left shoulder. Sam and I walked away as 'Dean' opened the trunk and observed all the weapons. It smiled and Sam and I pulled out our guns at him.

"Don't move!" I said. 'Dean' turned and saw us pointing the guns at him. "What have you done with him?" Sam asked. "Guys, chill. It's me, all right?" 'Dean' said.

"We don't think so," I said. "Where's our brother?" Sam asked, angrily. "You're about to shoot him," 'Dean' said. "Guys, calm down."

"You caught those keys with your left. Your shoulder was hurt," I pointed out. "Yeah, it's better. What do you want me to do, cry?" 'Dean' asked. "You're not our brother," Sam said.

'Dean' looked at Sam. "Why don't you pull the trigger, then? Hm?" 'Dean' said as he walked closer to Sam. "'Cause you're not sure. You guys know me." 'Dean' looked between me and Sam. "Don't," I warned. 'Dean' paused before Sam and I were hit twice with a crowbar and I fell to the ground.

... ...

"Scar, wake up." I heard someone whispered. I opened my eyes slowly. I looked around and saw I was in a dingy and dusty room. My neck and hands were bound to a wooden post.

"Scar." I turned my head and saw Sam. His neck and hands were bound to a wooden post as well. "You okay?" Sam whispered and I nodded slightly. "Yeah," I whispered. The shapeshifter was still like Dean, walked over to us and backhanded Sam, he groaned.

"Where is he? Where's Dean?" I asked. "I wouldn't worry about him. I'd worry about you and your brother," The shapeshifter said. "Where is he?" Sam asked.

The shapeshifter looked at my brother, "You don't really wanna know." He chuckled and I frowned. "I swear, the more I learn about you and your family - I thought I came from a bad background," He said and turned around to walk away.

"What do you mean, learn?" I asked. The shapeshifter stopped and turned around to look at me and Sam. He grabbed his head in pain and grimaced. Sam and I looked at him and then at each other, confused. We looked back and saw the shapeshifter relaxed and looked at us.

"He's sure got issues with you," He said to Sam. "You got to go to college. He had to stay home. I mean, _I_ had to stay home. With Dad," He said. "You don't think I had dreams of my own? But Dad needed me. Scarlett needed me. Where the hell were you?"

"Where is our brother?" Sam asked. "I _am_ your brother. See, deep down, I'm just jealous. You got friends. You could have a life. Me? I know I'm a freak. And sooner or later, everybody's gonna leave me," The shapeshifter said.

"What are you talkin' about?" Sam asked. "You left," The shapeshifter said. "Hell, Scar and I did everything Dad asked us to, and he ditched us, too. Didn't he Scar?" He looked at me.

I didn't replied, I just stared at him. I can't believe it, he was right. Sam was my best friend. I told him everything that was bothering me. And when Sam left us, Dean was there for me when I was sad. And Dad, how can he just leave me and Dean?

"You know I'm right. I can see it," The shapeshifter said to me. He looked at Sam. "No explanation, nothin', just poof. Left me with Scarlett and your sorry ass. But, still, this life? It's not without its perks." He laughed. "I meet the nicest people. Like little Becky. You know, Dean would bang her if he had the chance. Let's see what happens."

He smirked at Sam and I and then walked over to Sam, and covered him with a sheet. He walked over to me and covered me with a second sheet.


	19. 6-4 Stay Out Of The Sewers

I pulled down the sheet and saw Sam did the same. We tried to get out of the ropes but it didn't work. "Damn it," Sam mumbled. Then I heard movement. "Sam," I whispered. I looked over my shoulder as I heard someone coughing. "That better be you, guys, and not that freak of nature," Dean said.

Sam and I chuckled a little. "Yeah, it's us," Sam said. Dean managed to uncover himself from the sheet and started to undo his ropes.

"He went to Rebecca's, lookin' like you," I said. "Well, he's not stupid. He picked the handsome one," Dean said. Sam gave him a confused look while I continued to work through my ropes.

I finally got out of the ropes. "Yes," I said and got up. I walked over to Sam and started to untying his ropes. "We need to go," Sam said as he got up and I walked over to Dean and untying his ropes. "Yep," Dean said as he got up. "He's probably at Rebecca's already," Sam said and we left.

We climbed out and onto the alley street. "Come on. We gotta find a phone, call the police," Sam said as he helped me out. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You're gonna put an APB out on me," Dean stated and Sam shrugged. "Sorry," He said. "This way," I said and we started to ran down the street.

We stood in front of a store window, watching a news report that is being shown on a display of televisions. ' _An anonymous tip led police to a home in the Central West End, where a S.W.A.T team discovered a local woman bound and gagged. Her attacker, a white male, approximately twenty-four to thirty years of age, was discovered hiding in her home_.'

A sketch of Dean appeared on the screen. "Man! That's not even a good picture," Dean whined. Sam and I looked around cautiously. "It's good enough," Sam said and he and I started walking away and Dean followed.

We walked in an alley and Dean stepped into a puddle. "Come on," Dean snapped. "They said attempted murder," I stated. "At least we know -"

"I didn't kill her," Dean cut me off. "We'll check with Rebecca in the morning, see if she's all right," Sam said. "All right, but first I wanna find that handsome devil and kick the holy crap out of him," Dean said and we stopped. "We have no weapons. No silver bullets," Sam pointed out. "Sam, the guy's walkin' around with my face, okay, it's a little personal, I wanna find him," Dean said.

"Okay . . . so where do we look?" I asked. "Well, we could start with the sewers," Dean suggested. "We have no weapons. He stole our guns, we need more," Sam said. "The car?" I asked. "I'm bettin' he drove over to Rebecca's," Dean said.

"The news said he fled on foot. I bet it's still parked there," Sam said. "The thought of him drivin' my car," Dean said, upset. "All right, come on," Sam said and we started walking again. "It's killin' me," Dean said. "Let it go," I said.

We reached to Rebecca's house and walked around the side of the house to see Dean's car was parked there. "Oh, there she is! Finally, something went right tonight," Dean said and we started to walk to the car.

A police car appeared and parked next to the car. "Oh, crap," Dean said. We turned around, but another police car was parked a few yards away. "This way, this way," Dean said as he pulled me with him towards a fence.

"You two go. I'll hold 'em off," Sam said. "What are you talking about?" Dean asked. "They'll catch you," I said. "They can't hold me. Just go, keep out of sight. You two meet me at Rebecca's," Sam said.

Dean helped me up and we started to climbed over the fence. "Hey," Sam said and we stopped and turned around to look at him. "Stay out of the sewers alone." I nodded but Dean didn't say anything and we both hoped over the fence. "I mean it!" Sam said. "Yeah, yeah!" Dean said and he grabbed my hand and we ran away.

...

It was morning when we got back to the Impala. Dean told me we had to go back to the sewer. "But he said to stay away," I said as we gathered the weapons from the car's trunk. "I know, I know. But we can't wait. Let's go," Dean said and he closed the trunk. I sighed and we walked away.

Dean and I went back to the sewer and looked around. We come across a chamber filled with candles and chains. Revolting piles of skin and blood are on the floor. Dean and I shared a look before we suddenly heard a noise and we moved to another area of the sewer. We saw a large figure covered with a sheet.

Dean and I looked at each other before he removed the sheet and we saw it was Rebecca. Her hands and feet were bound together with rope. "Rebecca?" Dean and I asked at the same time.

Dean and I were untying Rebecca's ropes. "What happened?" Dean asked. "I was walking home, and everything just went white. Someone hit me over the head, and I wound up here just in time to see that thing turn into me. I don't know, how is that even possible?" She cried.

"Okay, okay. It's okay," I said as we finished untying her. "Come on. Can you walk?" Dean asked and she nodded. "We've gotta hurry, Sam went to see you," I said and we rushed out.

We got to Rebecca's house. Dean and I pulled out our guns and I opened the door. We rushed in and walked into a room, to see the shapeshifter on top of Sam, strangles him.

"Hey!" I yelled and the shapeshifter got off of Sam. Dean and I aimed our guns at the shapeshifter and we shoot him in the heart. The shapeshifter felled to the ground, dead. Rebecca entered. "Sam!"

She rushed over to Sam with me. I saw Dean walking to the shapeshifter's body and noticed him wearing something, Dean's necklace. Dean yanked it from around the shapeshifter's neck and nodded at us.

... ...

It was time to leave. Rebecca and Sam were inside the house while me and Dean were outside. Dean and I were looking at the map before looking away over to Sam and Rebecca walking out. They kept talking.

They hugged and then pulled away. I walked over to them. "Well, will you call sometime?" Rebecca asked him. "It might not be for a little while," Sam replied. She nodded and then looked at me and smiled. "Good bye, Scar," She said.

I smiled. "Bye, Rebecca," I said and I hugged her. She hugged back and then we pulled away. She waved goodbye to Dean. He waved back and then she walked back inside the house. Sam wrapped his arm around my shoulder and we walked over to our brother. "So, what about your friend, Zack?" Dean asked.

"Cops are blamin' this Dean Winchester guy for Emily's murder. They found the murder weapon in the guy's lair, Zack's clothes stained with her blood. Now they're thinking maybe the surveillance tape was tampered with," Sam said.

I saw Dean's eyes grow wide. "Yeah, Becca says Zack will be released soon," Sam said and he smile at how Dean responded. I giggled while Dean rolled his eyes and we got in the car.

"Sorry, man," Dean spoke up. "About what?" Sam asked. "I really wish things could be different, you know? I wish you could just be . . . Joe College," Dean said. "No, that's okay. You know, the truth is, even at Stanford, deep down, I never really fit in," Sam said.

"Well, that's 'cause you're a freak," Dean said. "Yeah, thanks," Sam said. "Well, I'm a freak, too," Dean said. "So I'm I. We right there with ya, all the way," I said. Sam laughed and gave a small nod, "Yeah, I know you both are."

"You know, I gotta say - I'm sorry I'm gonna miss it," Dean said. "Miss what?" Sam asked. "How many chances am I gonna have to see my own funeral?" Dean asked and the three of us smiled at each other before looking back at the road.


	20. 7-1 Hook Man

Sam, Dean and I were at an outdoor café. Dean and I were sitting on a table while Sam was on a payphone, trying to find Dad. He hung up and walked back to the table with a pissed look and I sighed while Dean was working at Sam's laptop. "Your, uh, half-caf, double vanilla latte is gettin' cold over here, Francis," Dean joked. "Bite me," Sam snapped and sat down.

"Anything?" I asked and Sam shook his head. "I had 'em check the FBI's Missing Persons Data Bank. No John Doe's fitting Dad's description. I even ran his plates for traffic violations," He said.

"Sam, I'm tellin' ya, I don't think Dad wants to be found," Dean said. "Check this out." He showed us both an article on the computer about a guy's death. "It's a news item out of Planes Courier. Ankeny, Iowa. It's only about a hundred miles from here."

"'The mutilated body was found near the victim's car, parked on 9 Mile Road.'," I read. "Keep reading," Dean said. "'Authorities are unable to provide a realistic description of the killer. The sole eyewitness, whose name has been withheld, is quoted as saying the attacker was invisible.'," I read. "Could be something interesting," Dean suggested.

"Or it could be nothing at all. One freaked out witness who didn't see anything? Doesn't mean it's the Invisible Man," Sam said. "But what if it is?" Dean asked. "Dad would check it out."

... ...

We drive to the fraternity where the guy, Rich lived. We stopped there and got out. I saw the other frat brothers were confused as they looked at us. "One more time, why are we here?" I asked. "Victim lived here," Dean replied and looked at me.

"Stay in the car," He ordered and Sam nodded in agreement and they both walked off before I had a chance to object. I groaned. I hate it when they doing that!

... ...

After Dean and Sam talked with the guys at the fraternity, we went to the church. The door slam behind us and a few people turned to look at us. "As a community, and as a family. The loss of a young person is particularly tragic. A life unlived is the saddest of passings," The reverend said. Me and my brothers went over and sat down. "So, please, let us pray. For peace, for guidance, and for the power to protect our children."

Everyone bowed their head in prayer, except Dean. Sam and I noticed and I elbowed him, and Dean, noticing everyone else, did the same.

After it was done, we walked out of the church and started to look for Lori. I spotted a girl hugging her friend and we walked up to the girl as her friend walked away. "Are you Lori?" I asked and the girl turned around to face us. "Yeah."

"My name is Sam. This is my brother, Dean," Sam introduced. "Hi," Dean said. "And our little sister, Scarlett," Sam introduced. "Hey," I said with a smile and she smiled back. "Dean and I just transferred here to the university," Sam said.

"I saw you inside," Lori said. "We don't wanna bother you. We just heard about what happened and . . ." Sam said. "We wanted to say how sorry we were," Dean said.

"I kind of know what you're going through. I saw someone get hurt once. It's something you don't forget," Sam said and Lori nodded slightly. The reverend walked up to us. "Dad, um, this is Scarlett, Sam and Dean," Lori introduced. "Dean and Sam are new students."

Dean shook the reverend's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I must say, that was an inspiring sermon," Dean said. "Thank you very much. It's so nice to find young people who are open to the Lord's message," The reverend said and Dean chuckled slightly.

"Listen, uh, we're new in town, actually," He said and he lead the reverend away from me, Sam and Lori. "And, uh, we were looking for a, um, a church group."

Sam and I turned back to Lori as Sam put his arm around my shoulder. "So, tell us, Lori. What are the police saying?" Sam asked and we started to walk. "Well, they don't have a lot to go on. I think they blame me for that," She said. I frowned, "What do you mean?" I asked. "My story," Lori started. "I was so scared, I guess I was "seeing things"."

We stopped walking. "That doesn't mean it wasn't real," Sam said. Lori smiled slightly and they looked at each other and I bit back a smirk. I cleared my throat and turned back to Lori, "Can you tell us what did you saw?"

She took in a deep breath before looking down on the ground and then back at me and Sam, "I heard scratching on the roof. I got out of the car and then I . . . I found the his body suspended upside down over the car," She said.

"Suspended?" Sam and I asked at the same time. She nodded. "Yes," She conformed. Sam and I looked at each other before looking back at the girl.


	21. 7-2 The Hook Man Legend

Me and my brothers got to the town library after that talk with Lori. "So you believe her?" Dean asked Sam. "I do," Sam said. "Yeah, I think she's hot, too," Dean said. "Shut up," I said, rolling my eyes. "There's something in her eyes. And listen to this: she heard scratching on the roof. Found the bloody body suspended upside down over the car," Sam said.

Dean stopped, making me and Sam to stop as well. "Wait, the body suspended?" Dean asked. "That sounds like the -"

"Yeah, the Hook Man legend," I agreed. "That's one of the most famous urban legends ever. You don't think that we're dealing with the Hook Man," Dean said. "Every urban legend has a source. A place where it all began," Sam said.

"Yeah, but what about the phantom scratches and the tire punctures and the invisible killer?" Dean asked. "Maybe the Hook Man isn't a man at all. What if it's some kind of spirit?" I suggested.

We sat at a table in the library. The librarian walked over to us and placed a few big boxes in front of us. "Here you go. Arrest records going back to 1851," She said. Dean blow some dust off a box. "Thanks," He said. "Ok," She said and walked away.

"So, this is how you spent four good years of your life, huh?" Dean asked Sam. "Welcome to higher education," Sam said and we opened the boxes and begin reading them.

... ...

It's been hours and we were still looking. "Hey, check this out," Sam said. "1862. A preacher named Jacob Karns was arrested for murder. Looks like he was so angry over the red light district in town that one night he killed 13 prostitutes. Uh, right here, "some of the deceased were found in their bed, sheets soaked with blood. Others suspended upside down from the limbs of trees as a warning against sins of the flesh."."

Dean looked at another page, "Get this, the murder weapon? Looks like the preacher lost his hand in an accident. Had it replaced with a silver hook." I pointed to another page. "Look where all this happened."

"9 Mile Road," Dean read. "Same place where the frat boy was killed," Sam said. "Nice job, Dr. Venkmen. Let's check it out," Dean said. Sam gathered all the research and we left.

... ...

It's was night when we got to 9 Mile Road. We got out of the car. Dean opened the trunk and handed Sam a rifle. "Here you go," He said to Sam.

"If it is a spirit, buckshot won't do much good," Sam pointed out. "Yeah, rock salt," Dean said and he handed it to Sam. "Huh. Salt being a spirit deterrent," Sam said. Dean took out a coil of rope and shut the trunk. "Yeah. It won't kill 'em. But it'll slow 'em down," I said.

We started to walked towards the trees. "That's pretty good. You both and Dad think of this?" Sam asked. "I told you. You don't have to be a college graduate to be a genius," Dean said.

Then we heard noises among the trees and stopped walking. Sam raised his gun and looked around. "Over there. Over there," Dean whispered. Sam aimed the gun and cocks it.

A figure come out from behind the trees. It was a sheriff. "Put the gun down now! Now! Put your hands behind your head." Sam put the gun down at the ground and Dean put down the rope. "W-w-wait, okay, okay!" Dean said as the sheriff came a little closer.

"Now get down on your knees. Come on, do it! On your knees!" The sheriff said. When we kneeled down and our hands were behind our heads the sheriff continued, "Now get down on your bellies. Come on, do it!" We did what the sheriff said. "He had the gun!" Dean said, talking about Sam.

...

"I saved your ass!" I said as we left the sheriff department. We spent the whole night there but after _I_ talked with the sheriff, I got Dean and Sam out. "Talked the sheriff down to a fine."

"How?" Dean asked. "I told him you both were a dumbass pledge and that I was pranking on my big brothers," I said, chuckling. "What about the shotgun and the rope?" Sam asked.

"I said that you two were hunting ghosts and the spirits were repelled by rock salt. You know, typical Hell Week prank," I said. "And he believed you?" Dean asked. "Yeah," I said, smirking.

Seconds later, several sheriffs ran out of the building and climbed in their cars. We watched as the cars speed away. The three of us exchanged a look and we nodded. We climbed in the Impala and drove after the police cars, but kept distance in case they noticed us.

We drove for five or less minutes, until we spotted Lori. She was wrapped in a blanket and sat in the back of the parked ambulance. Dean drove past her as we looked at her, who spotted us as well.

We parked the car on another street. The three of us get out and walked around to the back of Lori's sorority. "Why would the Hook Man come here? This is a long way from 9 Mile Road," Sam said.

"Maybe he's not haunting the scene of his crime. Maybe it's about something else," Dean replied. After those words left Dean's mouth, two sorority girls come out the side entrance of the building in their pjs.

Me and my brothers leaned against the side of the house next to some bushes. Dean looked at the girl, who were walking away and smirked. Sam tapped my shoulder and I turned to look at him. He pointed to the top and I nodded. "Guys, sorority girls! Think we'll see a naked pillow fight?"

Then Dean turned around and saw Sam was climbing up onto the balcony of the house. Dean help him up and then helped me up as well. Sam grabbed my hand and I got up.

Then Dean climbed up himself. Once we were up there, we sneak in Lori's window. I got in and then got up. Sam got in after and Dean got in. But Dean fall on top of Sam. "Oh, sorry!" Dean whispered.

"Be quiet," Sam whispered. "You be quiet!" Dean whispered. "You be quiet!" Sam whispered. "Both of you, shut up!" I whispered. I opened the door slightly and saw a sheriff leaving the bedroom. I waited until the sheriff got downstairs and then opened the closet door.

Once we walked in Lori's bedroom, we saw a writing on the wall. "'Aren't you glad you didn't turn on the light?'" I read. "That's right out of the legend," Sam stated. "Yeah, that's classic Hook Man all right," Dean said and he taps his nose, "It's definitely a spirit."

"Yeah, I've never smelled ozone this strong before," I said as Dean moved over to the window. "Hey, come here," Sam said. Dean walked over to Sam and me. Sam pointed to the cross symbol beneath the writing. "Does that look familiar to you?"

Sam, Dean and I went back to the Impala and sat on the hood of the car. Sam hold a picture of the cross symbol that we found in the library. "It's the same symbol," Sam noted. "Seems like it is the spirit of Jacob Karns."

"All right, let's find the dude's grave, salt and burn the bones, and put him down," Dean said. "'After execution, Jacob Karns was laid to rest in an Old North Cemetery. In an unmarked grave.'," I read.

Now that was annoying. "Super," Dean said sarcastically. We stood up and walked towards the car's doors. "Ok. So we know it's Jacob Karns. But we still don't know where he'll manifest next. Or why," Sam said.

"I'll take a wild guess about why. I think your little friend Lori has something to do with this," Dean said to Sam and we climbed in the car.


	22. 7-3 Hook

Sam and I were doing research while Dean was at the college party. Sam and I meet our brother outside the party. "Hey," Sam said. "Man, you've been holding out on me. This college thing is awesome!" Dean said, smirking. "This wasn't really my experience," Sam said.

"Let me guess. Libraries, studying, straight A's?" Dean said. Sam nodded. "What a geek," Dean mumbled. "Shut up and listen," I told him. "Now, it was bugging me, right? So how is the Hook Man tied up with Lori? So I think Scar and I came up with something," Sam said and I unraveled piece of paper and I handed them to Dean.

"1932. Clergyman arrested for murder. 1967. Seminarian held in hippie rampage," Dean said. "There's a pattern here. In both cases, the suspect was a man of religion who openly preached against immorality," Sam said.

"And then found himself wanted for killings he claimed were the work of an invisible force. Killings carried out - get this - with a sharp instrument," I said.

"What's the connection to Lori?" Dean asked. "A man of religion? Who openly preaches against immorality? Except maybe this time, instead of saving the whole town, he's just trying to save his only daughter," Sam said.

"Reverend Sorensen. You guys think he's summoning the spirit?" Dean asked. "Maybe," Sam said. "Or, you know how a poltergeist can haunt a person instead of a place?" I asked. "Yeah, the spirit latches onto the reverend's repressed emotions, feeds off them, okay," Dean said.

"Without the reverend ever even knowing it," Sam said. "Either way, you should keep an eye on Lori tonight," Dean said to Sam and he nodded. "What about you and Scar?" Sam asked. Dean looked at an attractive blonde smiling at him by the pool table inside the house.

"Oh, man," Dean whined and I rolled my eyes, knowing that he want's to stay. "We're gonna go see if we can find that unmarked grave," I said to Sam. He nodded and smirked as I grabbed Dean's arm, dragging him away from the house.

... ...

Dean and I got to the old North Cemetery. We were looking around with our flashlights. I spotted a headstone that was engraved with the cross symbol. "Dean," I said to my older brother. He looked at the headstone too. "Here we go," He said and we both walked over to it.

Dean hold a shovel for me and I gave him a look. "Someone need to hold the flashlight," I said, smirking. Now, Dean gave me a look. "Both of us are gonna dig. So stop whining," He said and I rolled my eyes as I grabbed the shovel.

Both of us started to dig with the shovels. It took a while. "That's it. Next time, I get to watch the cute girl's house," Dean said and I chuckled. Then, my shovel hit something. It was the grave.

Dean and I exchanged glances before both of us break through the wooden floor of the grave and saw Jacob Karns's remains. "Well, hello, preacher," I said and Dean and I throw our shovels aside.

Dean got out the hole and then helped me out. He took a few items out of the bag. He poured salt and lighted fluid on the preacher's bones then lighted a match. "Goodbye, preacher," Dean said. He throw the match into the grave and we watched the bones burn into flames.

"Finally," I said and Dean nodded in agreement. "Let's go see Sammy," He said. We gathered all the things and walked back to the car.

...

At the next morning, Dean and I got to the hospital after Sam called me and told us that Lori's father was attacked by the Hook Man. We saw Sam talking to a sheriff and we wanted to walk away but stopped by two other sheriff. "Sorry, you can't past."

"No, it's alright, we're with him," Dean said, pointing at Sam. "He's our brother," I added. "Hey! Brother!" Dean called and Sam and the sheriff turned to see us. I waved and Sam nodded, giving me a small smile. "Let them through," The sheriff said and the two sheriffs let Dean and I through.

"Thanks," Dean said to them and we and Sam walked towards each other. "You okay?" I asked my big brother and hugged him. He hugged me back, "Yeah," He replied and we broke the hug.

"What the hell happened?" Dean asked. "Hook Man," Sam replied. "You saw him?" Dean asked. "Damn right. Why didn't you torch the bones?" Sam asked. Dean and I exchanged a look and then looked back at Sam.

"What are you talking about, we did," I said. "You sure it's the spirit of Jacob Karns?" Dean asked. "It sure as hell looked like him. And that's not all. I don't think the spirit is latching on to the reverend," Sam said.

"Yeah, the guy wouldn't send the Hook Man after himself," I said. "I think it's latching onto Lori. Last night she found out her father is having an affair with a married woman," Sam said.

"So what?" Dean asked. "So she's upset about it. She's upset about the immorality of it. She told me she was raised to believe that if you do something wrong, you get punished," Sam said.

"Ok, so she's conflicted," Dean said. "And the spirit of Preacher Karns is latching on to repress the emotions and maybe he's doing the punishing for her," I said. "Right," Sam agreed. "Rich comes on too strong, Taylor tries to make her into a party girl, Dad has an affair."

"Remind me not to piss this girl off. But Scar and I burned those bones, we buried them in salt, why didn't that stop him?" Dean asked. "You must have missed something," Sam said.

"No. We burned everything in that coffin," I said. "Did you get the hook?" Sam asked. "The hook?" Dean asked and he and I exchanged a look again. "Well, it was the murder weapon, and in a way, it was part of him," Sam said.

"So, like the bones, the hook is a source of his power," Dean said. "So if we find the hook . . ." Sam said. "We stop the Hook Man," The three of us finished together and we smiled at each other.

We went back to the library and looked through more papers. "Hey, here's something, I think. Log book, Iowa State Penitentiary. Karns, Jacob. Personal affects: disposition thereof," Dean said.

"Does it mention the hook?" Sam asked. "Yeah, maybe," Dean said and he read. "'Upon execution, all earthly items shall be remanded to the prisoner's house of worship, St. Barnabas Church.'"

"Isn't that where Lori's father preaches?" I asked. "Yeah," Dean and Sam said at the same time. "Where Lori lives?" Sam asked. "Maybe that's why the Hook Man has been haunting reverends and reverends' daughters for the past 200 years," Dean said.

"Yeah, but if the hook were at the church or Lori's house, don't you think someone might've seen it? I mean, a bloodstained, silver-handled hook?" I asked. "Check the church records," Dean said.

We were still at the library. "St. Barnabas donations, 1862. Received silver-handled hook from state penitentiary. Reforged," Sam read in then he sighed. "They melted it down. Made it into something else."

... ...

We got to the St. Barnabas Church. We park the car and climbed out. "Alright, we can't take any chances. Anything silver goes in the fire," Dean said. "I agree," Sam said as I nodded. "So, Lori's still at the hospital. We'll have to break in," Sam said.

"Alright, take your pick," Dean said. "I'll take the house," Sam said. "Scar?" Dean asked. "Me too," I said. "Okay," Dean said and Sam and I started to walk towards Lori's house. "Hey," Dean said and we turned. "Stay out of her underwear drawer," Dean said to Sam.

I rolled my eyes and so did Sam and he put his hand on my back, pulling me with him to the house.

After a little while, Sam and I got to the St. Barnabas Church to the basement, where Dean was throwing everything silver into the fire so we came downstairs with a bag of things from Lori's house.

"We got everything that even looked silver," Sam said. "Better safe than sorry," Dean said. We throw everything into the fire. Suddenly, we heard footsteps above us. "Okay, move, move," Dean said as he grabbed his gun as we got upstairs.

We saw it was just Lori, who was sitting in a pew alone, crying. Dean lower his gun and walked back downstairs and I followed, letting Sam to talk with her.

I sat down by the fire, watching how everything that we throw melting. "You okay, Scar?" Dean asked, sitting beside me. "Yep," I said and looked at him. "It's just . . . Where's Dad? He just jumped in my mind all of a sudden."

"Yeah, I hear ya," Dean agreed and looked at the fire. "We'll find him." I sighed as I looked at the fire too. "It's taking too long," I muttered.

Suddenly, we heard a loud scream and a pair of footsteps running around. Dean got up and so did I. "You'll stay here," He said as he grabbed his gun. "What?" I asked. "Stay here," He repeated and ran upstairs.

I scoffed. What the hell? Then I saw Dean running back and threw a cross necklace in the fire. When the necklace was burnt, Dean looked at me. "Come on," He said and I got up and ran after him, to see that the Hook Man was gone.

...

It was morning when the Sheriffs were walking around and an ambulance was parked outside at St. Barnabus Church, for Sam, getting bandaged up after the fight with the Hook Man. I sat in the backseat in the impala while Dean was talking with the sheriff Sam spoke with the other day at the hospital. My window was down so I could hear the conversation.

"And you saw him, too? The man with the hook?" The sheriff asked. "Yes, I told you, we all saw him. We fought him off and then he ran," Dean said. "And that's all?" The sheriff asked. "Yeah, that's all," Dean said. "Listen," The sheriff started, "You and your sister, and brother -"

"Oh, don't worry, we're leaving town," Dean cut the sheriff off before walking over to the Impala. He looked at me and we both smirked at each other. He climbed inside the driver seat and we both watched our brother and Lori through the side view mirror. They talked and Sam nodded and smiled. We noticed Sam just walking away without another word.

I sighed sadly while Dean shook his head. Sam walked to the car and climbed in. "We could stay," Dean said but Sam shook his head. Dean and I watched Lori looking sad, through the mirror. Dean shook his head in disappointment while I put a hand on Sam's shoulder. Sam looked over at me and gave me a small smile before we drove away.


	23. 8-1 Bugs

Me and my brothers were at the Oklahoma Bar. Dean was inside the bar while Sam and I were outside, sitting on the hood of the Impala. Sam was reading the newspaper while I was playing on my phone.

Then, Dean walked outside, laughing and waving a wad of cash in the air. I sighed, "You know, we could get day jobs once in a while," I said.

"Hunting's our day job. And the pay is crap," Dean joked. "Yeah, but hustling pool? Credit card scams? It's not the most honest thing in the world, Dean," Sam said.

"Well, let's see honest," Dean said as he hold out one hand. "Fun and easy." He hold out the other, and gestured that "fun and easy" outweighs "honest". "It's no contest. Besides, we're good at it. It's what we were raised to do."

"Yeah, well, how we were raised was jacked," Sam said. "Yeah, says you," Dean said. "Stop. Sam, we got a new gig?" I asked my big brother.

"Maybe," Sam said as we both got off the hood. "Oasis Plains, Oklahoma - not far from here. A gas company employee, Dustin Burwash, supposedly died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob." Sam placed the newspaper on the hood in front of me and Dean.

"Huh?" Dean and I asked at the same time. Sam sighed, "Human mad cow disease," He said. "Mad cow. Wasn't that on Oprah?" Dean asked and Sam and I looked at him. "You watch Oprah?" Sam asked.

Dean looked between me and Sam before changing the topic. "So this guy eats a bad burger. Why is it our kind of thing?" He asked.

"Mad cow disease causes massive brain degeneration. It takes months, even years, for the damage to appear. But this guy, Dustin? Sounds like his brain disintegrated in about an hour. Maybe less," Sam said. "Yeah, that's weird," I agreed and so did Dean, "Mmmmm."

"Yeah. Now, it could be a disease. Or it could be somethin' much nastier," Sam said. "All right. Oklahoma," Dean said and the three of us climbed inside the car. "Man. Work, work, work. No time to spend my money," Dean said and we drive off.

...

It was morning when we arrived to the Oklahoma gas and power company building. Me and my brothers got out of the car and walked over to a man, who we were hoping was Travis Weaver.

"Travis Weaver?" Sam asked the man. "Yeah, that's right," The man, Travis, said, looking at me and my brothers. "Hey, are you the Travis who worked with Uncle Dusty?" I asked. "Dustin never mentioned nephews and a niece," Travis said.

"Really? Well, he sure mentioned you. He said you were the greatest," Dean said. "Yeah," Sam agreed, playing along. "Oh, he did?" Travis asked with a smile and looked down shyly. "Huh."

"We wanted to ask you . . . What exactly happened out there?" I asked. Travis shrugged, "I'm not sure. He fell in a sinkhole, I went to the truck to get some rope, and, uh . . . by the time I got back . . ." He stopped.

"What did you see?" Dean asked. Travis shook his head, "Nothin'. Just Dustin," He replied. "No wounds or anything?" Sam asked this time. "Well, he was bleeding . . . From his eyes and his ears, his nose. But that's it," Travis said.

"So you think it could be this whole mad cow thing?" Dean asked. "I don't know. That's what the doctors are sayin'," Travis said. "But if it was, he would've acted strange beforehand, like dementia, loss of motor control. You ever notice anything like that?" Sam asked.

Travis shook his head. "No. No way. But then again, if it wasn't some disease, what the hell was it?" He asked. "Good question," I agreed, nodding. "You know, can you tell us where this happened?" Sam asked. "Yeah," Travis said, nodding.


	24. 8-2 Beetles

After a little while, we arrived at the scene of Dustin's death. We got out of the car and approached to the sinkhole, that was surrounded by police tape. "Huh. What do you think?" Dean asked me and Sam.

"I don't know," Sam said. "Me too. But if that guy, Travis, was right, it happened pretty damn fast," I said. Both Dean and Sam shot me a look when I said 'damn' and I just shrugged before we duck under the police tape and we looked into the hole with Dean pointing it with his flashlight.

"So, what? Some sort of creature chewed on his brain?" Dean suggested. "No, there'd be an entry wound. Sounds like this thing worked from the inside," Sam said. "Huh. Looks like there's only room for one," Dean said and turned off the flashlight. He duck under the police tape, "Sam, you wanna flip a coin?"

"Wait, what?" I asked. "Dean, we have no idea what's down there," Sam said as Dean picked up a nearby coil of rope. "All right, I'll go if you're scared. You scared?" Dean challenged. "Flip the damn coin," Sam said and I rolled my eyes.

Dean chuckled and pulled a coin out of his pocket. "All right, call it in the air . . . Chicken," He said. He flip the coin, and I catch it. "I'm going," I said. "No," Sam and Dean said at the same time. I rolled my eyes. "I said, I'm going. Let's get over with it," I said and they sighed.

"You sure?" Sam asked and I nodded. "Yep," I said and Dean begin tying the rope around my waist. "Don't you dare drop me," I said, glaring at Dean and he just chuckled.

... ...

We were back at the car. While Dean was driving, Sam was examining a dead beetle that I found in his hand. "So you found some beetles," Dean said to me. "In a hole, in the ground. That's shocking, Scar."

I rolled my eyes. "Dean, there were no tunnels, no tracks. No evidence of any other kind of creature down there. You know, some beetles do eat meat. It's usually dead meat, but . . ."

"How many did you find down there?" He asked. "Ten," I replied. "It'd take a whole lot more than that to eat out some dude's brain," Dean said. "Well, maybe there were more," Sam suggested. "I don't know, it sounds like a stretch to me," Dean said. "Well, we need more information on the area, the neighborhood. Whether something like this has ever happened before," Sam said.

As we drive through town, we pass a sign for an open house, decorated with red balloons. "What?" Sam asked. "I know a good place to start," Dean started. We past another sign reads, 'Models Open. New Buyers' BBQ Today!' "I'm kinda hungry for a little barbeque, how 'bout you two?"

Sam and I looked at each other before we looked at Dean and gave him a knowing look. "What, we can't talk to the locals?" He asked. "And the free food's got nothin' to do with it?" I asked. "Of course not. I'm a professional," Dean said. "Right," Sam said sarcastically as I rolled my eyes.

We pulled over and got out of the car. We begin walking down the street to the open house. "Growin' up in a place like this would freak me out," Dean said. "Why?" Sam asked. "Well, manicured lawns, 'How was your day, honey?' I'd blow my brains out," Dean said. "There's nothing wrong with 'normal'," Sam said. "I'd take our family over normal any day," Dean said.

We approach the house and knock on the door. The homeowner answered. "Welcome," He greeted. "This the barbeque?" Dean asked. "Yeah, not the best weather, but . . . I'm Larry Pike, the developer here. And you are?" The man, Larry asked.

"Dean," Dean introduced himself as they shake hands. "This is Sam." He pointed at Sam as they shake hands. "And this is Scarlett." He pointed at me as we shake hands.

"Sam, Dean, Scarlett, good to meet you. So, you three are interested in Oasis Plains?" Larry asked. "Yes, sir," Dean said. "Let me just say - we accept homeowners of any race, religion, color, or . . . sexual orientation," Larry told Sam and Dean.

I looked up at my brothers and grinned evilly. Dean shot me a glare before looking back at Larry, "We're brothers." Larry looked slightly embarrassed and then he looked at down at me, "And you are?" He asked. "Their sister," I replied with a grin and he nodded.

"Our father is getting on in years, and we're just lookin' for a place for him," Sam said. "Great, great. Well, seniors are welcome, too. Come on in," Larry said and we walked inside.

He took us outside to the backyard and we saw a lots of people walking around, chatting and eating. "You said you were the developer?" Sam asked Larry. "Eighteen months ago, I was walking this valley with my survey team. There was nothing here but scrub brush and squirrels. And you know what, we built such a nice place to live that I actually bought into it myself. This is our house. We're the first family in Oasis Plains," Larry explained.

We followed him to a blonde woman. She smiled at us. "This is my wife, Joanie," Larry introduced. "Hi there," She said. "Hi," Dean said as they shake hands. "Hi, nice to meet you," Joanie said. "Sam, Dean and Scarlett," Larry introduced us. Sam shaking her hand, "Sam."

"Pleasure," Joanie said. "Hey," I said, shaking her hand. "Nice to meet you, sweetheart," She said. "Tell them how much you love the place, honey. And lie if you have to because I need to sell some houses," Larry joked and Joanie laughed. "Right."

"Will you excuse me?" Larry said and walked away. "Don't let his salesman routine scare you. This really is a great place to live," Joanie said. Then, a very energetic woman approached us. Her black hair was pulled back in a tight bun. "Hi, I'm Lynda Bloome, head of sales."

"And Lynda was second to move in. She's a very noisy neighbor, though," Joanie said and she walked away. Lynda laughed. "She's kidding, of course. I take it you three are interested in becoming homeowners."

"Well . . ." Dean started. "Y-yeah, well . . ." Sam started. "Yep," I said and she smiled down at me before looking at my brothers. "Well, let me just say that we accept homeowners of any race, religion, color, or . . . sexual orientation," She said.

I bit back a chuckle and looked up at my brothers again, grinning before I looked back at Lynda. "My _parents_ do look cute together, don't they?" I said and she smiled down at me before Sam gave me a small hit on the back. "Ow," I whispered.

"Well, um . . . I'm gonna go talk to Larry," Dean said, giving a small chuckle and then he turned to Sam, "Okay, honey?" He walked away, smacking Sam on his ass and I hold back my laugh.


	25. 8-3 Matt

After Dean left, Lynda was talking to Sam and I, "- Who can say "no" to a steam shower? I use mine everyday," She said. Sam and I looked at each other, we both know that we weren't interested by this. "Sounds great," Sam said sarcastically.

While she was continued talking, I noticed a tarantula crawling towards her hand, which was resting on the table beside her. I let my eyes wander behind her to see that a few feet away, a boy, probably a year or two older then me, was watching excitedly the tarantula coming closer to Lynda. Sam noticed him as well with a frown, "Excuse us."

He pushed Lynda gently out of the way and I picked up the spider carefully. We went to the boy and I hold the spider to him. "Hey, is this yours?" I asked, locking eyes with him. He took the spider from me with a shocking look and then looked between me and my brother, "You gonna tell my Dad?"

"I don't know. Who's your Dad?" Sam asked. The boy scoffed, "Yeah, Larry usually skips me in the family introductions," He said. "Ouch. First name basis with the old man - sounds pretty grim," Sam said. "Well, I'm not exactly brochure material," The boy said and he looked at me again.

"Well, hang in there. It gets better, all right? I promise," Sam told him while I hid my smile from the boy, who was still looking at me. He finally looked at my brother, "When?"

"Matthew." We turned to see Larry and Dean walking towards us. Larry stood beside his son as he looked at me and Sam, "I am so sorry about my son and his . . . Pet." Sam shrugged, "It's no bother."

"Excuse us," Larry said and he grabbed Matt's arm before they walked away. Dean stood right where Matt was, looking at us. "Remind you of somebody?" Sam asked. Dean looked over at Larry, who was yelling at Matt, quietly before he looked back at Sam, confused. "Dad?" Sam said.

"Dad never treated us like that," Dean said with a frown. Sam let out a huff, "Well, Dad never treated you and Scar like that. You two were perfect. He was all over my case," He said. "You don't remember?"

"Well, maybe he had to raise his voice, but sometimes, you were out of line," Dean said. "Dean," I warned. "What?" He asked me as Sam scoffed, "Right. Right, like when I said I'd rather play soccer with Scar than learn bowhunting," He said and I looked down. "Bowhunting's an important skill," Dean said. "Whatever," Sam said, rolling his eyes. I sighed and looked at Dean, "How was your tour?"

"Oh, it was excellent. I'm ready to buy," He joked and Sam and I let out a laugh. "So you might be onto somethin'," He said to me. "Looks like Dustin Burwash wasn't the first strange death around here."

"What happened?" Sam asked. "About a year ago, before they broke ground, one of Larry's surveyors dropped dead while on the job. Get this severe allergic reaction to bee stings," Dean said. "More bugs," Sam and I said at the same time. Dean nodded, "More Bugs." And with that, the three of us left.

... ...

It was already dark, while Sam drive through the neighborhood, Dean was looking through Dad's journal. "You know, I've heard of killer bees, but killer beetles? What is it that could make different bugs attack?" I asked. "Well, hauntings sometimes include bug manifestations," Sam replied.

"Yeah, but I didn't see any evidence of ghost activity," Dean spoke. "Yeah, me neither," Sam said and I sighed. "Maybe they're being controlled somehow. You know, by something or someone," Dean said.

"You mean . . . Like Willard?" I asked. "Yeah, bugs instead of rats," Dean said. "There are cases of psychic connections between people and animals - elementals, telepaths," Sam said. "Yeah, that whole Timmy-Lassie thing," Dean said. "Larry's kid - he's got bugs for pets."

"Matt?" I asked. "Yeah," He said. "He did try to scare the realtor with a tarantula," Sam pointed out. "You think he's our Willard?" Dean asked. "I don't know. Anything's possible, I guess," Sam said. "He did looked interested in something." He looked at me through the front mirror with a sly smirk, "Or _someone_."

I looked outside the window, feeling my cheeks getting slightly pink. Dean must have noticed, "Have I missed something?" He asked. "No," I said the same time Sam said, "A little bit." Sam looked at me again and smirked.

"Ooh, hey. Pull over here," Dean said all of a sudden. Sam pulled into an empty driveway of one of the Oasis Plains homes. "What are we doing here?" Sam asked as Dean got out of the car and he walked towards the garage, "It's too late to talk to anybody else."

He pulled the door up. "Dude . . . we're gonna squat in an empty house?" I asked. "I wanna try the steam shower. Come on," Dean said but Sam didn't moved. "Come on!" Dean raised his voice slightly.

Sam sighed before pulling the car in the garage and hit Dean on his stomach and I smirked. Dean closed the door and Sam turned off the engine.

...

The next morning, Sam woke me up and told me that someone found dead not so far from us. After I got dressed, Sam put our bags back at the car while I went to get Dean. I walked to the bathroom door, where the shower can be heard running. I knocked on the door.

"You ever comin' out of there?" I called. "What?" Dean yelled. "Come on, Dean, Sam said that a police call came in on the scanner," I said. "Hold on," He said. "Someone was found dead three blocks from here. Come on," I said.

Dean opened the door, looking at me. The steam-filled room, with a towel on his head. "Dude, this shower is awesome," He said with a big grin. I rolled my eyes, "Just come on, Sam is waiting in the car," I said and walked off.


	26. 8-4 Skulls

It was a bit raining when we pulled up and saw an ambulance and a police car outside the house. Me and my brothers climbed out of the car with our umbrellas and opened them as we were walking over to Larry, who was finishing talking to someone on the phone.

We saw that a body was being carried out in a body bag on a stretcher. "Hello. You're, uh, back early," Larry said to us. "Yeah, we just drove in, wanted to take another look at the neighborhood," Dean said. "What's goin' on?" Sam asked the man.

"You guys met, uh . . . Lynda Bloome at the barbeque?" Larry asked. "Yeah, the realtor," I replied. "Well, she, uh . . . passed away last night," Larry said. I was shocked and I could tell my brothers were too. Sam and I looked at each other before back at Larry.

"What happened?" Dean asked. "I'm still tryin' to find out. I identified the body for the police," Larry said and he turned to see a police man was waiting for him. He turned back to us, "Look, I - I'm sorry, this isn't a good time now."

"It's okay," Sam said. "Excuse me," Larry said and he walked over to the police man. "You two know what we have to do, right?" Dean asked me and Sam. "Yeah. Get in that house," Sam said. "Let see if we got a bug problem," I said.

... ...

After a little while, the place was empty so we climb over the fence, up the side of the house, and through the bedroom window. When we got inside, we spotted the outline of her dead body is drawn on the carpet.

"This looks like the place, Dean said and we walked to another part of the room. Dean picked up a towel from the floor and dropped it when we saw it was covered in dead spiders. "Spiders," Dean said, looking at us. "From Spider Boy?" Sam and I exchanged glances, "Matt," Sam said and we looked back at our older brother, "Maybe."

"Maybe it's not him," I said, getting my brothers attention. "I don't think it's him." Sam sent me a small smirk while Dean frowned. "What's up between you and that kid?" He asked. "Nothing," I said. "Yeah, right," Sam said with a small chuckle. "I saw how you two looked at each other."

I cleared my throat while Dean smirked. "Really, now?" He said and Sam nodded. But then Dean's smirk disappeared, "Wait . . . That's not good. Stay away from that kid," He said and I rolled my eyes. Here we go again. Dean showing his protective side. Just like Sam does all the time. I get it that they are my big brothers and they just doing their to protect their little sister, but come on!

... ...

We pulled up at the curb and Dean turned the engine off. Then, from across the street, we saw Matt got off the school bus and started walking to a different direction. "Isn't his house that way?" I asked, pointing behind me. "Yup," Sam agreed, nodding.

"So where's he goin'?" Dean asked as he stared at Matt. Sam looked at me, "Let's go after your boyfriend," He teased and he smirked when he noticed my cheeks where slightly pink, "Shut up, he's not my boyfriend," I snapped. "Sam, remember the rule; we not letting Scar to date anyone until she will be 30," Dean said, smirking slightly.

I groaned, "Come on!" And with that, I climbed out and slammed the door shut. Sam and Dean got out as well and we followed Matt.

We followed him through the woods and approached him when we saw him examining a grasshopper. "Hey, Matt," Sam said and Matt turned around to look at me and my brothers. "Remember us?" Sam asked, pointing at himself and me.

"What are you doin' out here?" Matt asked. "Well, we wanna talk to you," Dean said. "You're not here to buy a house, are you?" Matt asked and I shook my head, "W-wait. You're not serial killers?" Me and my brothers laughed. "No, no. No, I think you're safe," Sam said.

"So, Matt . . . You sure know a lot about insects," Dean said. "So?" Matt asked, shrugging. "Did you hear what happened to Lynda, the realtor?" Dean asked. Matt's lips formed into a thin line before he spoke, "I hear she died this morning."

"Mm, that's right. Spider bites," Dean said. "Matt . . ." I started, "You tried to scare her with a spider." Matt looked at me before looking at my brothers as well, "Wait. You think I had something to do with that?" He asked in disbelief.

"You tell us," Dean said. "That tarantula was a joke. Anyway, that wouldn't explain the bee attack or the gas company guy," Matt said. "You know about those?" Sam asked.

"There is somethin' going on here," Matt stated and me and my brothers exchanged glances. "I don't know what . . . But something's happening with the insects. Let me show you something."

He picked up his backpack and started walking with us to another area. "So, if you knew about all this bug stuff, why not tell your Dad?" Sam asked as he and I walked on each side of Matt, "Maybe he could clear everybody out."

"Believe me, I've tried. But, uh, _Larry_ doesn't listen to me," Matt replied. "Why not?" I asked and he and I locked eyes. "Mostly? He's too disappointed in his freak son," He replied. Sam scoffed, "I hear you."

"You do?" Dean asked. Sam turned and gave him a look before turning back to Matt. "Matt, how old are you?" He asked. "16," Matt replied. "Well, don't sweat it, because in two years, something great's gonna happen," Sam said, trying to cheer him up.

"What?" Matt asked. "College. You'll be able to get out of that house and away from your dad," Sam said. "What kind of advice is that? Kid should stick with his family," Dean stepped in. Got a point.

Sam stopped, sighing and turned to our older brother and shot him a glare. I looked at Matt, "How much further, Matt?" I asked. "We're close," He replied, giving me a small smile before continuing walking. I smiled to myself and then looked at my brothers and my smile fell when I saw that they saw Matt shot me a smile and I was smiling too.

Sam smirked and Dean rolled his eyes. "Shut up," I whispered before following Matt and Sam and Dean followed behind me shortly.

A few moments later, we reach a large clearing. The sounds of hundreds of different insects could be heard among the trees. "I've been keeping track of insect populations. It's, um, part of an AP science class," Matt explained. "You two are like peas in a pod," Dean said.

"What's been happening?" I asked. "A lot. I mean, from bees to earthworms, beetles . . . You name it. It's like they're congregating here," Matt said. "Why?" Dean asked.

"I don't know," Matt said, shrugging. "What's that?" Sam asked, pointing at a dark patch of grass a few feet away. Curious, Dean walked towards it with me, Sam and Matt behind him.

We walked over to it and discover hundreds of worms. Dean stepped on some of them, and they fall into the ground, creating a hole. He looked at me and Sam before crouching down and used a stick to poke around in the hole.

"There's somethin' down there," He said as he put the stick down and then put his hand in the hole. He felt something inside the hole which, almost immediately, he made a disgusted face. He bright his hand back up, and we were horrified at what was in his hand; A human skull covered in dirt and worms.

... ...

Me and my brothers pulled outside the Department of anthropology and Sam turned the engine off and we climbed out. Sam opened the door of the backseat, then he shrugged his jacket off and covered the box where the bones were.

"So," Sam started as we headed towards the building, "A bunch of skeletons in an unmarked grave." I nodded, "Yeah," I said. "Maybe this is a haunting. Pissed off spirits? Some unfinished business?" Dean suggested.

"Yeah, maybe. Question is, why bugs? And why now?" Sam asked. "That's two questions," Dean said. I rolled my eyes while Sam ignored him. "Yeah, so with that kid back there, Scar's boyfriend -"

"He's not my boyfriend," I cut Dean off but he just waved his hand, "Okay. Why'd you tell him to just ditch his family like that?"

"Just, uh . . . I know what the kid's goin' through," Sam replied. "How 'bout tellin' him to respect his old man, how's that for advice?" Dean said which made Sam laugh and stop walking. "Oh not again," I muttered and Dean and I stopped.

"Dean, come on. This isn't about his old man. You think I didn't respect Dad. That's what this is about," Sam said. "Just forget it, all right? Sorry I brought it up," Dean said quickly but that didn't stop Sam, "I respected him. But no matter what I did, it was never good enough."

"So what are you sayin'? That Dad was disappointed in you?" Dean asked. "Was?" Sam scoffed. " _Is_. Always has been."

"Why would you think that?" Dean asked. "Because I didn't wanna bowhunt or hustle pool - because I wanted to go to school and live my life, which, to our whacked-out family, made me the freak," Sam said.

"Yeah, you were kind of like the blonde chick in The Munsters," Dean joked and a half smile was on his face. "Dean, you know what most dads are when their kids score a full ride?" Sam asked and Dean's smile fell. "Proud. Most dads don't toss their kids out of the house."

Dean slowly nodded, "I remember that fight. In fact, I seem to recall a few choice phrases comin' out of your mouth," He said. Sam looked away. He scoffed and shook his head, "You know, truth is, when we finally do find Dad . . . I don't know if he's even gonna wanna see me." He looked back at us.

"Sam, Dad was never disappointed in you. Never. He was just scared," I said. "What are you talkin' about?" He asked. "He was afraid of what could've happened to you if he wasn't around. But even when you two weren't talkin' . . . he used to swing by Stanford whenever he could," Dean said and we could see Sam was shocked. "Keep an eye on you. Make sure you were safe."

"What?" Sam asked. "Yeah," Dean said as he licked his bottom lip and nodded. "Why didn't you two tell me any of that?" Sam asked. "You could've picked up the phone," I remarked and he stared down at me, sadly.

"Come on, we're gonna be late for our appointment," Dean said and he walked away. I quickly followed him and Sam followed behind me.

We went to a classroom with a professor. We let him examined the skulls and then he looked at Sam and Dean, "So, you two are students?" He then looked at me as I walked over to him with my brothers. "Yeah. Yeah, uh, we're in your class - Anthro 101?" Sam asked. "Oh, yeah," The professor said and looked at me again. "And you are?"

"My sister," Dean replied for me. "Mom and Dad's out of town so I need to take care of her. She wont's be trouble." The professor nodded. "So, professor, what about the bones?" I asked.

"This is quite an interesting find you've made. I'd say they're 170 years old, give or take. The timeframe and the geography heavily suggest Native American," The professor said.

"Were there any tribes or reservations on that land?" Sam asked. "Not according to the historical record. But the, uh, relocation of native peoples was quite common at that time," The professor said.

"Right. Well, are there any local legends? Oral histories about the area?" Sam asked. "Well . . . you know, there's a Euchee tribe in Sapulpa. It's about sixty miles from here. Someone out there might know the truth," The professor explained. Dean nodded and looked at me and Sam, "All right."


	27. 8-5 Goodbye

We were driving through Sapulpa. Dean stopped and asked a Native American man for directions. Once he directed us where to go, we thanked him and drive away.

We walked inside to a diner and spotted a Native American man playing cards at a table. "Joe White Tree?" Sam asked and the man nodded. "We'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's all right," I said.

"We're students from the university," Dean said. "No, you're not. You're lying," Joe said. Dean glanced back at me and Sam and then looked back at Joe, "Um . . . Well, truth is -"

"You know who starts sentence with 'truth is'?" Joe cut him off. "Liars."

We exchanged a look before looking back at the man, "Have you heard of Oasis Plains?" I asked. "It's a housing development near the Atoka Valley," Sam added. Joe looked at me and then at Sam before looking at our older brother, "I like them," He declared. "They not liars."

I looked up at Dean and saw he looked a bit pissed. Oh man, he's gonna blow. "I know the area," Joe continued, answering my question. "What can you tell us about the history there?" Sam asked. "Why do you wanna know?" Joe asked curiously.

"Something . . . something bad is happening in Oasis Plains. We think it might have something to do with some old bones we found down there - Native American bones," I said.

"I'll tell you what my grandfather told me, what his grandfather told him," Joe started. "Two hundred years ago, a band of my ancestors lived in that valley. One day, the American cavalry came to relocate them. They were resistant, the cavalry impatient. As my grandfather put it, on the night the moon and the sun share the sky as equals, the cavalry first raided our village. They murdered, raped. The next day, the cavalry came again, and the next, and the next. And on the sixth night, the cavalry came one last time. And by the time the sun rose, every man, woman, and child still in the village was dead."

Sam wrapped his arm tightly around my shoulder as Joe continued, "They say on the sixth night, as the chief of the village lay dying, he whispered to the heavens that no white man would ever tarnish this land again. Nature would rise up and protect the valley. And it would bring as many days of misery and death to the white man as the cavalry had brought upon his people."

"Insects. Sounds like nature to me," Dean said, looking at me and Sam before looking back at the man, "Six days," He said. "And on the night of the sixth day, none would survive," Joe finished.

After we thanked Joe, we walked out the diner and towards the car. "When did the gas company man die?" I asked suddenly. "Uh, let's see, we got here Tuesday, so, Friday the twentieth," Dean said. "March twentieth?" Sam asked and Dean nodded. "That's the spring equinox."

"The night the sun and the moon share the sky as equals," Dean said. "So, every year about this time, everyone in Oasis Plains is in danger. Larry built this neighborhood on cursed land," I said. "And on the sixth night - that's tonight," Dean said.

We got to the car. "If we don't do something, Larry's family will be dead by sunrise. So how do we break the curse?" Sam asked. "You don't break a curse," I said. "You get out of its way. We've gotta get those people out now," Dean said. We climbed in the car and drove away quickly.

... ...

It was getting dark as we were on our way to Matt's house and Dean was taking on the phone with Larry while driving. "Yes, Mr. Pike, there's a mainline gas leak in your neighborhood," Dean said and paused. "Well, it's fairly extensive. I don't want to alarm you, but we need your family out of the vicinity for at least twelve hours or so, just to be safe." He paused again, "Travis Weaver. I work for Oklahoma Gas and Power." He paused with a frown, "Uh . . ." All of a sudden, he hung up the phone.

"Give me the phone," Sam said and grabbed the phone form Dean and dialed a number. "Who are you calling?" I asked. "Your boyfriend," Sam said and I hit him on the back of his head. "Ow," He said, "Matt, it's Sam." He paused. "Matt, just listen. You have to get your family out of that house right now, okay?" He paused again. "Because something's coming. Yeah, a lot more. You've gotta make him listen, okay?"

Dean gave him a 'Are you kidding me' look. "Give me the phone," I said before Dean could say anything and took the phone from Sam. "Matt, you can't tell them the truth, they'll just think you're nuts," I said.

" _But Scar, he's my -_ -"

"Tell him you have a sharp pain in your right side and you've gotta go to the hospital, okay?" I cut him off and I looked at Dean to see he nodded in agreement with what I said.

" _Yeah. Yeah, okay_ ," Matt agreed. I sighed as I hang up. Dean looked at Sam before looking back at the road. " _Make him listen_? What are you thinkin'?" He muttered, not wanting to make a scene.

... ...

After a while, Dean finally stopped the Impala outside Matt's house. We expected the house to be empty but the lights were on. Me and my brothers exchanged a look. "Damn it, they're still here," Dean said as he turned off the engines. "Come on."

We climbed out the Impala and walked towards the house. All of a sudden, Larry opened the front door and stepped outside with Matt behind him. "Get off my property before I call the cops," Larry said, pointing a finger at us.

"Mr. Pike, listen," Sam started calmly. "Dad, they're just tryin' to help," Matt said and Larry turned to him. "Get in the house!" He ordered. Matt looked at us, "I'm sorry. I told him the truth," He apologized to us, but he looked at me with sorry eyes.

"We had a plan, Matt, what happened to the plan?" Dean asked. "Look, it's 12:00 AM. They are coming any minute now. You need to get your family and go, before it's too late," Sam said.

"Yeah, you mean before the biblical swarm," Larry said. "Larry, what do you think really happened to that realtor? And the gas company guy? You don't think somethin' weird's goin' on here?" I asked.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but you're crazy. You come near my boy or my family again, and we're gonna have a problem," Larry threatened. "Well, I hate to be a downer, but we've got a problem right now," Dean said.

"Dad, they're right, okay? We're in danger," Matt said. "Matt, get inside!" Larry shouted at Matt. "No!" Matt shouted back. "Now!" Larry said. "Why won't you listen to me?!" Matt yelled.

"Because this is crazy! It doesn't make any sense!" Larry yelled back. "Look," Sam said, raising his voice a little and Larry turned back to us. "This land is cursed! People have died here. Now, are you gonna really take that risk with your family?"

"Shh, wait," I said and we went silent. "You hear it?" I asked. From somewhere nearby, a very loud buzzing noise was heard and it continued to get louder. "What the hell?" Larry asked. Then, the fluorescent bug light on the porch started to overheat, killing several bugs at a time.

"All right, it's time to go. Larry, get your wife," Dean said and Larry turned around to get in the house, but Matt interrupted him, "Guys." We all looked up at the sky and saw millions of bugs flying towards the house, blanketing the sky. "Oh my God," Larry muttered.

"We'll never make it," Sam said. "Everybody in the house. Everybody in the house, go!" Dean said as Sam grabbed my hand and we all ran inside the house and Dean locked the door.

I turned to Larry, "Is there anybody else in the neighborhood?" I asked. "No, it's just us," He replied. Then Joanie came and looked confused. "Honey, what's happening? What's that noise?"

"Call 911," Larry said, ignoring her questions. She didn't moved and Larry saw it, "Joanie!" he called her name. She blinked a couple of times, "Okay." She ran to get the phone. "I need towels," Dean said to Larry and they walked to get towels with Sam, "Uh, in the closet," Larry said.

I turned to Matt, "We've gotta lock this place up, come on - doors, windows, fireplace, everything," I said and we both ran upstairs. After Matt and I locked everything, we rushed back downstairs.

"You won't get one. They're blanketing the house," Dean said. We saw millions of bugs started collecting on the doors and windows, covering the entire house. Larry turned to me and my brothers, "So what do we do now?"

"We try to outlast it," Sam said as Dean went to the kitchen. "Hopefully, the curse will end at sunrise." Larry looked at Sam, "Hopefully?"

Dean came back with a can of bug spray. "Bug spray?" Joanie asked. "Trust me." Was his only response, though it didn't look like it calm down the woman. Then, a creaking sound could be heard from somewhere. "What is that?" Matt asked. We looked around and my eyes stopped at the fireplace. I walked slowly towards it. "The flue."

"All right, I think everybody needs to get upstairs," Dean said and then suddenly, hundreds of thousands of bugs came into the living room from the fireplace and immediately attacked us. We all screamed as we tried to protect ourselves. Dean pulled me behind him and he used a lighter with the can of bug spray to make it flare up.

The flame pushed some of the bugs away, but more and more were coming. "All right, everybody upstairs! Now! Go, go, go!" Dean yelled as we all ran up the stairs while Dean tried to hold the bugs off before he sprinted up the stairs.

We ran to the attic and waited for Dean to climb up. When he did, Sam and I immediately closed the door. After a moment of being in the attic, sawdust was falling from the ceiling. The buzz of the bees got louder. "Oh, God, what's that?" Joanie asked.

Dean, Sam and I went to examined it. "Something's eating through the wood," Dean said. "Termites," Matt and I said at the same time. "All right, everybody get back. Get back, get back, get back!" Dean ordered.

Without saying a word, the three Pikes moved as far into the corner of the attic as they could. A second later, the bugs chew a hole through the ceiling and swarm around the room. Me and my brothers frantically tried to patch up the hole in the ceiling, but this only worked for a minute.

Soon, two more holes were chewed, and while Dean tried to ward them off with the bug spray, nothing seemed to work. We all got to the corner and ducked down.

Then, suddenly, the sun raised. Miraculously, the bugs started to leave through the holes in the ceiling. Dean, Sam and I slowly rose up and walked towards one of the holes. Through the hole, we saw the bugs in the sky, near the sun, in one enormous colony.

... ...

After a couple of hours later, we pulled up outside Matt's house and Dean turned off the engines before we climbed out. We walked towards Larry, who was placing boxes into a moving van. "What, no goodbye?" Dean asked. "Good timing," Larry said and he shook my hand. "Another hour and we'd have been gone." Then he shook Dean's hand.

"For good?" Sam asked and they shook hands. "Yeah," Larry replied. "The development's been put on hold while the government investigates those bones you found. But I'm gonna make damn sure no one lives here again."

"You don't seem too upset about it," I said. "Well, this has been the biggest financial disaster of my career, but . . ." Larry said and looked over at Matt, who was carrying a box to the garbage, ". . . Somehow, I really don't care."

We all shared a smile before Sam and I walked over to Matt, who was throwing away all his insect paraphernalia. "What's this?" Sam asked with a smile. "I don't know. They kind of weird me out now," Matt admitted.

We laughed at that. "Yeah, I should hope so," Sam said and then he looked at me and smiled before leaving me alone with Matt and went back to talk with Dean and Larry. "So," Matt said and I smiled. "Looks like you and your Dad gonna be okay," I said and he smiled, nodding. "Yeah," He agreed and he glanced at his father over my shoulder before looking back at me.

"So, I guess it's goodbye," I said and he nodded. His eyes looked sad and he looked down for a moment before looking back at me. "I guess so." And with that, he just pulled me to him and crushed his lips to mine.

"WWWWWOOOOOO!" I heard Sam and Dean and they chuckled. I kissed Matt back and after a moment, we pulled away. We smiled at each other as we heard clapping from my brothers, jokingly. "I'll let that one go," Dean called and Sam laughed.

"I hope I'll see you again," Matt said. "Me too," I said and then walked back to my brothers. I glached at Larry and we shared a smile as I got to my brothers, who were both smirking. "Let's hit the road," I said.

"Let's," Dean agreed while Sam chuckled. We climbed to the Impala and gave one last wave to Larry and Matt. Matt and I smiled at each other as Dean turned on the engines and we drove away.

I was gonna miss him. "Look at you." I turned my gaze form the open window to Dean, who was glancing at me from the front mirror. "You had your first kiss." I blushed and looked away. "Shut up," I muttered and he and Sam laughed.


	28. 9-1 Home

**Third Person POV**  
"All right," Dean started. He was sitting on a chair with the laptop in front on him while Sam was drawing a picture of a tree and Scarlett was laying on the bed, sleeping.

"I've been cruisin' some websites. I think I found a few candidates for our next gig," Dean said and he took a sip from his coffee. "A fishing trawler found off the coast of Cali - its crew vanished. And, uh, we got some cattle mutilations in West Texas." He looked at his brother, who was still drawing, "Hey."

Sam raised his head and looked at him. "Am I boring you with this hunting evil stuff?" Dean asked. "No. I'm listening. Keep going," Sam said as he continued drawing.

"And, here, a Sacramento man shot himself in the head," Dean said and hold three fingers to Sam, "Three times." He waved his hand before he continued, "Any of these things blowin' up your skirt, pal?" Sam stopped and looked at his picture. "Wait. I've seen this."

"Seen what?" Dean asked. Sam didn't answered him and instead, he got out of the bed and started searching through his duffel bag for something.

Dean took a sip from his coffee. "What are you doing?" He asked. Sam found a photo of their family from when he was a baby. He grabbed his drawing and compared it with the tree in the picture. "Dean," Sam said as he looked at his brother, "I know where we have to go next."

"Where?" Dean asked. "Back home. Back to Kansas," Sam replied and he walked over to the bed and started to shake Scarlett gently on her arm, "Scar, wake up." She sighed tiredly, "Five more minutes."

"You can sleep in the car," Sam said and she sighed. "Okay, random. Where'd that come from?" Dean asked about going back to Kansas. "All right, um," Sam started as he walked over to him with the picture to show him, "This photo was taken in front of our old house, right?" He placed the picture in front of Dean. "The house where Mom died?"

Dean picked up the picture. "Yeah," He said, looking at Sam. "And it didn't burn down, right? I mean, not completely, they rebuilt it, right?" Sam asked as Scarlett started to finally wake up.

"I guess so, yeah. What the hell are you talkin' about?" Dean asked, confused. "Okay, look, this is gonna sound crazy but . . ." Sam started as he sat down, "The people who live in our old house - I think they might be in danger."

"Why would you think that?" Scarlett spoke up, sitting on the bed. "Uh . . . it's just, um . . ." Sam stuttered, "Look, just trust me on this, guys, okay?" He said as he walked towards his duffel bag and put it on the bed.

Dean and Scarlett shared a look before they both stood up and walked towards their brother with Dean holding the picture. "Wait, whoa, whoa, trust you?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Sam said simply as he started packing. "Come on, man, that's weak. You gotta give us a little bit more than that," Dean argued. "I can't really explain it is all," Sam said. "Well, tough. I'm not goin' anywhere until you do," Dean raised his voice. Sam sighed, "I have these nightmares."

Dean and Scarlett nodded their heads. "We noticed," Scarlett said. "And sometimes . . . They come true," Sam said. "Come again?" Dean and Scarlett asked at the same time.

"Look, guys . . . I dreamt about Jessica's death - for days before it happened," Sam said. "Sam, people have weird dreams. I'm sure it's just a coincidence," Scarlett said as Dean sat down on one of the beds.

"No, I dreamt about the blood dripping, her on the ceiling, the fire, everything, and I didn't do anything about it 'cause I didn't believe it," Sam said and Dean looked down at the picture. "And now I'm dreaming about that tree, about our house, and about some woman inside screaming for help. I mean, that's where it all started, man, this has to mean something, right?"

Scarlett sat down across from Dean as he shook his head and looked up at Sam, overwhelmed, "I don't know." Sam sat down beside Scarlett as he said, "What do you mean you don't know, Dean? This woman might be in danger. I mean, this might even be the thing that killed Mom and Jessica!"

"All right, just slow down, would ya?" Dean said as he stood up and started to pacing. "I mean, first you tell me that you've got the Shining? And then you tell me that I've gotta go back home? Especially when . . ."

"When what?" Scarlett asked. "When I swore to myself that I would never go back there?" Dean said, sadly. Sam looked at Scarlett before standing up and spoke softly, "Look, Dean, we have to check this out. Just to make sure." Dean looked at his brother and sister before nodding, "I know we do."

... ...

 **Scarlett POV**  
Finally, we got to my brothers old house at Lawrence, Kansas. Dean parked the Impala in front of the house. "This is were you guys lived?" I asked. "Yeah," Dean mumbled. "It look so . . ." I started. "Normal?" Sam finished and I nodded. "It used to be for us . . ." Dean said. "You gonna be all right, man?" Sam asked our brother. "Let me get back to you on that," Dean said and we climbed out the car.

I knocked on the door and after a few seconds, a blonde woman opened it. "Yes?" She asked. "Sorry to bother you, ma'am," Dean said, "But we're with the Federal -"

"I'm Sam Winchester, and this is my brother, Dean and our sister, Scarlett," Sam cut him off, "Me and my brother used to live here. You know, we were just drivin' by, and we were wondering if we could come see the old place and plus showing Scarlett where we used to live."

Sam smiled politely and so did I as we both ignored the shock face that Dean had. "Winchester. Yeah, that's so funny. You know, I think I found some of your photos the other night," The woman said.

"You did?" Dean asked. She nodded and stepped aside, "Come on in." Once we were inside, the four of us went to the kitchen and we saw the woman, Jenny's daughter, was doing her homework on the table and her younger son, was in his playpen jumping and murmuring, 'Juice' over and over.

"That's Ritchie. He's kind of a juice junkie. But, hey, at least he won't get scurvy," Jenny said as she took a sippy cup from the fridge and hands it to Ritchie. She walked over to her daughter, "Sari, this is Sam, Dean and Scarlett. Sam and Dean used to live here."

"Hi," Sari said as Dean and I waved. "Hey, Sari," Sam said. "So, you just moved in?" Dean asked Jenny. "Yeah, from Wichita," She replied. "You got family here, or . . .?" Dean asked. "No. I just, uh . . . needed a fresh start, that's all," Jenny replied. "So, new town, new job - I mean, as soon as I find one. New house."

"So, how you likin' it so far?" Sam asked. "Well, uh, all due respect to your childhood home - I mean, I'm sure you had lots of happy memories here," Jenny said and Dean smiled weakly. "But this place has its issues."

"What do you mean?" I asked, frowning. "Well, it's just getting old. Like the wiring, you know? We've got flickering lights almost hourly," Jenny said. "Oh, that's too bad. What else?" Dean asked.

"Um . . . sink's backed up, there's rats in the basement," She said but stopped at that. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to complain." I shook my head as Dean said, "No. Have you seen the rats or have you just heard scratching?"

"It's just the scratching, actually," She replied. "Mom?" Sari spoke softly and Jenny kneeled down next to her, "Ask them if it was here when they lived here."

"What, Sari?" I asked softly. The girl turned to me and my brothers, "The thing in my closet." Sam and I shared a frown as Jenny spoke to her daughter with a smile, "Oh, no, baby, there was nothing in their closets." She looked at us, "Right?"

"Right. No, no, of course not," Sam said. "She had a nightmare the other night," Jenny said. "I wasn't dreaming. It came into my bedroom - and it was on fire," Sari said. I exchanged a shocking look with both my brothers.

We quickly made up an excuse to leave and once the door was shut behind us, Sam immediately started talking, "You guys heard that? A figure on fire."

"And that woman, Jenny, that was the woman in your dreams?" I asked. " Yeah. And you hear what she was talking about? Scratching, flickering lights, both signs of a malevolent spirit," Sam said.

"Yeah, well, I'm just freaked out that your weirdo visions are comin' true," Dean said which made Sam panic, "Well, forget about that for a minute. The thing in the house, do you think it's the thing that killed Mom and Jessica?"

"I don't know!" Dean said. "Well, I mean, has it come back or has it been here the whole time?" Sam asked and we stopped. "Or maybe it's something else entirely, Sam, we don't know yet," Dean said.

"Well, those people are in danger, guys. We have to get 'em out of that house," Sam said. "We will," I said. "No, I mean _now_ ," He argued.

"And how you gonna do that, huh? You got a story that she's gonna believe?" Dean yelled. "Then what are we supposed to do?" Sam yelled back. Dean opened his mouth to say something but he was cut off by me opening the back seat door and shutting the door hard.


	29. 9-2 Missouri

We stopped in front of a gas station and climbed out the Impala. "We just gotta chill out, that's all. You know, if this was any other kind of job, what would we do?" Dean asked and Sam and I sighed. "We'd try to figure out what we were dealin' with," Sam said. "We'd dig into the history of the house," I added.

"Exactly, except this time, we already know what happened," Dean said and Sam sat on the trunk. "Yeah, but how much do we know? I mean, how much do you actually remember?" Sam asked. "About that night, you mean?" Dean asked and Sam nodded, "Yeah."

"Not much. I remember the fire . . . the heat," Dean said and paused for a moment before looking at Sam, "And then I carried you out the front door."

"You did?" Sam asked. "Yeah, what, you never knew that?" Dean asked. "No," Sam said, shaking his head. Dean slowly nodded before continued, looking between me and Sam, "And, well, you know Dad's story as well as I do. Mom was . . . was on the ceiling. And whatever put her there was long gone by the time Dad found her."

"And he never had a theory about what did it?" I spoke up as I sat beside Sam on the trunk. "If he did, he kept it to himself," Dean replied as he turned around and sat on the trunk on my other side, "God knows we asked him enough times."

"Okay. So, if we're gonna figure out what's goin' on now . . . we have to figure out what happened back then. And see if it's the same thing," Sam said. "Yeah. We'll talk to Dad's friends, neighbors, people who were there at the time," Dean said. "Does this feel like just another job to you?" I asked as I gazed up at my older brother as Sam put his arm around my shoulder.

Sam, Dean and Dad told me a lot about Mary, Sam and Dean's mother. She sound like a good person and they told me stories about her and my mom.

Dean didn't replied my question and after a moment he said, "I'll be right back. I gotta go to the bathroom." And with that he walked away before Sam or I could say anything.

I looked up at Sam. "Sorry, I didn't meant to," I asked. He shook his head and gave me a soft smile as he wrapped his arm around me again and pulled me to a side-hug. "It's okay," He assured.

... ...

"So you and John Winchester, you used to own this garage together?" Dean asked the owner if 'Guenther's Auto Repair'. "Yeah, we used to, a long time ago. Matter of fact, it must be, uh . . . twenty years since John disappeared. So why the cops interested all of a sudden?" The owner asked as his eyes trailed to me.

"Oh, we're re-opening some of our unsolved cases, and the Winchester disappearance is one of 'em," Dean replied. "Oh, well, what do you wanna know about John?" The owner asked.

"Well, whatever you remember, you know, whatever sticks out in your mind," Dean asked. "Well . . ." The owner started as he put his hands on his hips, "He was a stubborn bastard, I remember that." He laughed, "And, uh, whatever the game, he hated to lose, you know? It's that whole Marine thing." Dean and Sam nodded. "But, oh, he sure loved Mary. And he doted on those kids."

"But that was before the fire?" Sam asked. "That's right," The owner said, his smile faded. "Did he ever talk about that night?" I spoke up. "No, not at first," The owner replied. "I think he was in shock."

"Right. But eventually? What did he say about it?" Sam asked. "Oh, he wasn't thinkin' straight. He said somethin' caused that fire and killed Mary," The owner said. "He ever say what did it?" Dean asked.

"Nothin' did it. It was an accident - an electrical short in the ceiling or walls or somethin'. I begged him to get some help, but . . ." The owner stopped talking. "But what?" I asked.

"Oh, he just got worse and worse," He replied. "How?" Dean asked. "Oh, he started readin' these strange ol' books. He started goin' to see this palm reader in town," The owner said. "Palm reader? Uh, do you have a name?" Dean asked which the owner scoffed and shook his head, "No."

... ...

We parked by a payphone and while Dean and I were leaning against the door to the driver's seat, Sam looked through a phonebook, "All right, so there are a few psychics and palm readers in town. There's someone named El Divino. There's, uh -" Sam laughed, "There's the Mysterious Mister Fortinsky." I laughed at it and he smirked before looking back at the book, "Uh, Missouri Moseley -"

"Wait, wait. Missouri Moseley?" Dean asked. "What?" Sam asked, looking at our brother. "That's a psychic?" Dean asked. Sam looked back at the book. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, I guess so."

Dean opened the door to the backseat and grabbed Dad's journal and closed the door after that, "In Dad's journal . . ." He said and he opened the journal, "Here, look at this. First page, first sentence, read that." He turned it and showed it to me and Sam.

I read it out loud, "I went to Missouri and I learned the truth." Sam and I shared a frown and Dean shrugged as he said, "I always thought he meant the state."

... ...

We sat on a couch, waiting for Missouri to finish talking with a man. Missouri walked out of the room with the man, "All right, there. Don't you worry 'bout a thing. Your wife is crazy about you." She smiled as the man thanked her and she closes the front door behind him. She sighed and looked at us, "Whew. Poor bastard. His woman is cold-bangin' the gardener."

We smiled. "Why didn't you tell him?" I asked. "People don't come here for the truth. They come for good news," She replied and we just stared at her, "Well? Sam, Dean, Scarlett, come on already, I ain't got all day."

She walked out the room. Me and my brothers exchange a confused look before following her into the next room. "Well, lemme look at ya," She said and then looked at Sam and Dean and laughed, "Oh, you boys grew up handsome."

She pointed a finger at Dean, "And you were one goofy-lookin' kid, too." He glared at her while Sam and I smirked. She looked at me and smiled, "Scarlett. It's great to finally met you." I smiled and she shook my hand. Her smile turned to a grin, "Oh . . . You growing up to be a beautiful woman, I see you going to break a lot of men's hearts."

I smiled again. She looked at Sam with a soft smile, "Sam." She grabbed his hand. "Oh, honey . . . I'm sorry about your girlfriend." We were complete shocked. "And your father - he's missin'?"

"How'd you know all that?" Sam asked. "Well, you were just thinkin' it just now," She said. Sam raised his eyebrows, surprised. "Well, where is he? Is he okay?" Dean asked. "I don't know," Missouri replied. "Don't know? Well, you're supposed to be a psychic, right?" Dean asked.

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Oh no," I whispered and she said to Dean, "Boy, you see me sawin' some bony tramp in half? You think I'm a magician? I may be able to read thoughts and sense energies in a room, but I can't just pull facts out of thin air. Sit, please."

Sam and I looked at each other and grinned before we sat down and I sat between Sam and Dean. As soon as we and Missouri sat down, she immediately snapped at Dean, "Boy, you put your foot on my coffee table, I'm 'a whack you with a spoon!"

"I didn't do anything," Dean whined. "But you were thinkin' about it," She said. Dean raised his eyebrows, and Sam and I grinned again but after that our smiles vanished.

"Okay. So, our Dad - when did you first meet him?" Sam asked. "He came for a reading. A few days after the fire. I just told him what was really out there in the dark. I guess you could say . . . I drew back the curtains for him," Missouri explained.

"What about the fire? Do you know about what killed our Mom?" Dean asked. "A little. Your Daddy took me to your house. He was hopin' I could sense the echoes, the fingerprints of this thing," She said.

"And could you?" Sam asked. "I . . ." She shook her head. "What was it?" I asked. "I don't know. Oh, but it was evil," She said softly. "So . . . you think somethin' is back in that house?"

"Definitely," Sam said. "I don't understand," She said. "What?" Sam and I asked at the same time. "I haven't been back inside, but I've been keepin' an eye on the place, and it's been quiet. No sudden deaths, no freak accidents. Why is it actin' up now?" She asked.

"I don't know. But Dad going missing and Jessica dying and now this house all happening at once - it just feels like something's starting," Sam said. "That's a comforting thought," Dean said sarcastically.


	30. 9-3 More Than One

Me and my brothers, along with Missouri, walked to Jenny's house. Sam knocked on the door and after a couple of seconds, Jenny opened the door with Ritchie in her arms.

"Sam, Dean, Scarlett. What are you doing here?" She asked and we all noticed the worry written on her face. "Hey, Jenny. This is our friend, Missouri," Sam said. Missouri smiled at Jenny as she put her hand on my shoulder and Jenny returned the smile.

"If it's not too much trouble, we were hoping to show her the old house. You know, for old time's sake," Dean said. "You know, this isn't a good time. I'm kind of busy," Jenny said.

"Listen, Jenny, it's important," Dean started to protest but was cut off by Missouri, smacking him on the back of his head. "Ow!"

"Give the poor girl a break, can't you see she's upset?" She scolded him before looking back at Jenny, "Forgive this boy, he means well, he's just not the sharpest tool in the shed, but hear me out." She stepped in front of us.

"About what?" Jenny asked. "About this house," Missouri stated. "What are you talking about?" Jenny asked, confused. "I think you know what I'm talking about. You think there's something in this house, something that wants to hurt your family. Am I mistaken?" Missouri asked.

"Who are you?" Jenny asked. "We're people who can help, who can stop this thing. But you're gonna have to trust us, just a little," Missouri said. Jenny looked unsure about that, but after a couple of moments she let us in. We immediately went upstairs to Sari's room.

"If there's a dark energy around here, this room should be the center of it," Missouri said. "Why?" Sam asked. "This used to be your nursery, Sam. This is where it all happened," Missouri replied.

Sam and I glanced at the ceiling while Missouri looked around the room. I looked at Dean and saw him pulling out the EMF meter. Missouri turned to us and looked at it, "That an EMF?"

"Yeah," Dean replied. "Amateur," Missouri said and I smirked while Dean glare at her. Then he nudged me and Sam and showed us that the EMF was beeping frantically.

"I don't know if you boys should be disappointed or relieved," Missouri started as she turned to us and looked at Sam and Dean, "But this ain't the thing that took your mom."

"Wait, are you sure?" Sam asked and she nodded. "How do you know?" I asked. "It isn't the same energy I felt the last time I was here. It's somethin' different," Missouri replied.

"What is it?" Dean asked. Missouri opened the closet and stepped inside. "Not it. Them. There's more than one spirit in this place," She said. "What are they doing here?" Dean asked.

"They're here because of what happened to your family," Missouri started as she walked back to us and stopped in front of us. "You see, all those years ago, real evil came to you. It walked this house. That kind of evil leaves wounds. And sometimes, wounds get infected."

"I don't understand," Sam said. "This place is a magnet for paranormal energy. It's attracted a poltergeist. A nasty one. And it won't rest until Jenny and her babies are dead," Missouri said.

"You said there was more than one spirit," I pointed out. "There is," Missouri said as she nodded. Then she walked inside the closet again and turned to us, "I just can't quite make out the second one." She walked back to us. "Well, one thing's for damn sure - nobody's dyin' in this house ever again," Dean said. "So whatever is here, how do we stop it?"

We went back at Missouri's house. We were sitting around her table and on it were different herbs and roots. "So, what is all this stuff, anyway?" Dean asked.

"Angelica Root, Van Van oil, crossroad dirt, a few other odds and ends," Missouri said. "Yeah? What are we supposed to do with it?" Dean asked. "We're gonna put them inside the walls in the north, south, east, west corners on each floor of the house," Missouri replied.

"We'll be punchin' holes in the dry wall. Jenny's gonna love that," Dean said sarcastically. "She'll live," Missouri pointed out. "And this'll destroy the spirits?" I asked.

"It should," Missouri replied. "It should purify the house completely. We'll each take a floor. But we work fast. Once the spirits realize what we're up to, things are gonna get bad."

... ...

It was night by the time when we went back to Jenny's house. Missouri convinced Jenny, even though she was still unsure of the plan leaving us alone, to take the kids out.

Now, we had to be fast. I was at the upstairs, while Sam went to the attic, Dean took the kitchen and Missouri took the basement.

I walked inside Jenny's bedroom with a hammer. I kneeled down by the wall and used the end of the hammer to hit against the walls. Then, I used the hammer and hit the wall, making a hold.

All of a sudden, I heard something crashing to the floor and I turned to see what it was. But then something wrapped around my neck and I tried to scream but I couldn't. I tried to get it off but I couldn't so I fell to the floor. I tried to grabbed the bag so I could put it inside the wall but no use.

I fell again and tried with both of my hands to get off what was wrapped strongly around my neck. "Scarlett!" I heard my brothers calling but I couldn't replied. I heard their footsteps, running and they came to my side, trying to get off what was wrapped around my neck. Dean grabbed the bag of herbs and kicked my hole to much bigger and put the bag inside.

A blinding white light left the room. Once the spirit is gone, Dean came back over to me and Sam. I was gasping for air as Sam and Dean unraveled the cord, that was wrapped, from my neck and they both pulled me to a fierce hug. "You okay," Sam said.


	31. 9-4 Mary

Sam, Dean and I along with Missouri, stood in the extremely messy kitchen. Both my brothers got their arms wrapped around me tightly as Sam looked around before turning to Missouri, "You sure this is over?"

Missouri took a moment before turning to my brother, "I'm sure. Why? Why do you ask?" Sam slightly shook his head, "Never mind." He sighed, "It's nothin', I guess."

Then we heard the door and the lights in the hallway were on, "Hello? We're home," Jenny called. Then she came into the kitchen with her kids and looked around. "What happened?"

"Hi, sorry," I said, giving her a shy smile. "Yeah, um, we'll pay for all of this," Sam said which made Dean to look at him confused.

"Don't you worry. Dean's gonna clean up this mess," Missouri said which got Dean to be more confused and I grinned. Missouri turned to see Dean was still standing with me and Sam and said, "Well, what are you waiting for, boy? Get the mop."

Dean started to walk away. "And don't cuss at me!" Missouri scolded and he glanced at her before walking away, muttering under his breath and I giggled slightly.

... ...

Later that night, Dean, Sam and I were sitting in the car in front of Jenny's house. "All right, so, tell me again, what are we still doin' here?" Dean asked, slightly irritated. "I don't know. I just . . . I still have a bad feeling." Sam replied, not taking his eyes from the house.

"Why?" I asked, frowning. "Yeah, Missouri did her whole Zelda Rubenstein thing, the house should be clean, it should be over," Dean said. "Yeah, well, probably. But I just wanna make sure, that's all," Sam replied.

"Yeah, well, problem is I could be sleeping in a bed right now," Dean said and I rolled my eyes as he slide down in his seat and closed his eyes. I sighed and all of a sudden Sam said, "Guys, Look, guys!" Dean and I looked at Jenny's bedroom window and saw her screaming.

The three of us climbed out of the car and ran towards the house. "You two grab the kids, I'll get Jenny," Dean ordered. I opened the door and Sam and I rushed to get the kids while Dean went to Jenny.

Sam went to get Ritchie and I went to get Sari. I ran into her room to see her screaming for help as I saw a figure made out of fire is standing by her closet. I rushed over to Sari's bed and grabbed her hand and we ran out the room.

I met Sam in the way as he was carrying Ritchie in his arms. We rushed down the stairs and Sam put Ritchie on the floor, "All right, Sari, take your brother outside as fast as you can, and don't look back," He said to Sari. Suddenly, an invisible force made me fell to the floor. "Scar!" Sam called and I was sent to another room and soon was followed by Sam at the same way.

We were pinned against the wall by the invisible force. We couldn't move and the fire figure made its way towards us. "Scarlett? Sam? Scarlett! Sam!" Dean called and he found us. As he looked at the fire figure, he raised his gun. "No, don't! Don't!" Sam said. "What, why?!" Dean asked.

"Because I know who it is. I can see her now," Sam said. Suddenly, the fire vanished. Instead, standing in front of us was a woman with blond hair, wearing a white nightgown, Mary Winchester, exactly as she was the night she died. My eyes grow wide and Dean's expression softens. In shock, he lowered his gun slowly.

"Mom?" Dean asked softly. Mary smiled and stepped closer to him. "Dean," She said softly. Then she walked away and walked to me with a smile. "Scarlett, I'm so happy to meet you," She said softly.

I smiled, "Me too," I said and she gave me one last smile before looking at Sam. "Sam," She said. Sam smiled weakly and Mary's smile faded. "I'm sorry," She said. "For what?" Sam asked but she just looked at him sadly. She walked away from us and looked up at the ceiling.

"You get out of my house. And let go of _my kids_." Once again, she busted into flames. When she was entirely engulfed, the fire reaches the ceiling and disappeared. The force holding Sam and I to the wall was released. We all were stunned. "Now it's over," Sam spoke after a moment, quietly.

...

The next morning, Dean and I were standing by the car with Jenny, looking through old photos. Well I was and I was laughing about it. "Missouri was right about you, Dean," I teased and Jenny giggled. "Shut up," Dean said, smirking before looking at Jenny, "Thanks for these."

"Don't thank me, they're yours," Jenny said as I handed the photos to Dean. He put the trunk of photos into the car. We said goodbye to Jenny and she and I hugged. I looked at the front steps to see Sam and Missouri sitting there, talking.

"Sammy, you ready?" I called and I got their attention. Sam nodded but then he gave me a playfully glare, "It's Sam." Dean and I laughed. Sam got up from the steps, following by Missouri. Sam walked over to us as Jenny walked pass him, thanking him as well and he smiled.

Sam got to Dean and I and we all were about to get in the car. "Don't you kids be strangers," Missouri said. "We won't," I said and she smiled at us. "See you around," She said. Jenny smiled and waved at us. Me and my brothers smiled and climbed inside the car, Dean turned on the engines and we drive away.


	32. 10-1 Asylum

Me and my brothers were in a motel room. While Dean was going through Dad's journal, I was setting beside Sam on one of the beds as he spoke in his phone with a man name Caleb, "No, Dad was in California last we heard from him. We just thought . . . He comes to you for 'munitions . . . Maybe you've seen him in the last few weeks. Just, call us if you hear anything."

"Thanks." With that he hung up. Dean glanced up at him, "Caleb hasn't heard from him?" He asked. "Nope. And neither has Jefferson or Pastor Jim," Sam explain. "What about the journal? Anything leads in there?" I asked.

"No, same as last time I looked. Nothing I can make out . . ." Dean said and then he chuckled, "I love the guy, but I swear, he writes like friggin' Yoda."

"You know, maybe we should call the Feds. File a missing person's," Sam suggested. "We've talked about this. Dad's be pissed if we put the Feds on his tail," Dean said. "I don't care anymore," Sam said as Dean's phone rang.

Dean shut the journal and got up from his chair, heading to the other bed where his duffel bag was as Sam continued, "After all that happened back in Kansas, I mean . . . He should've been there, Dean. You said so yourself. You tried to call him and . . . Nothing."

"I know," Dean said as he was going through the bag, "Where the hell is my cellphone?" Sam then said, "You know, he could be dead for all we know." Dean looked at him, "Don't say that! He's not dead! He's - he's . . ." He didn't knew how to continue as he continued to look for his phone.

"He's what? He's hiding? He's busy?" Sam asked. Dean finally found his phone and flicked it open. "Huh. I don't believe it," He said, quietly. I frowned, "What?" I walked over to him and he showed me a message;

From: Unavailable

Subject:

Meg: 42, -89

9:52

"What is it?" Sam asked. "It's, uh . . . It's a text message. It's coordinates," Dean explained as he sat down on the bed.

Dean was on Sam's laptop, typing. "You think Dad was texting us?" I asked, frowning. "He's given us coordinates before," Dean pointed out. "The man can barely work a toaster, Dean," Sam said. Our older brother looked up, "Guys, it's good news, it means he's okay, or alive at least."

With that, he looked back to the laptop. "Well, was there a number on the caller ID?" Sam asked. "No, it said 'unknown'," I replied. "Well, where do the coordinates point?" He asked, turning back to Dean.

"That's the interesting part. Rockford, Illinois," Dean said. Sam and I exchanged a look before looking back at Dean. "And that's interesting how?" I asked. "I checked the local Rockford paper. Take a look at this," Dean said.

We sat down at both his sides as he said, "This cop, Walter Kelly, comes home from his shift, shoots his wife, then puts the gun in his mouth, blows his brains out. And earlier that night, Kelly and his partner responded to a call at the Roosevelt Asylum."

"Okay, I'm not following. What has this have to do with us?" Sam asked as Dean opened Dad's journal, "Dad earmarked the same asylum in the journal. Let's see . . ." Then he fond the right page, "Here. Seven unconfirmed sightings, two deaths - till last week at least. I think this is where he wants us to go."

Sam snorted and got up, placing both his hands on the back of his head as he turned his back to us, "This is a job," He said and he turned back to face us, "Dad wants us to work a job."

"Maybe we'll meet up with him? Maybe he's there?" I suggested and Dean nodded in agreement but Sam said, "Maybe he's not? I mean, he could be sending us there, by ourselves, to hunt this thing."

"Who cares," Dean said and then he closed the journal and the laptop. "If he wants us there, it's good enough for me!" He said and got up. "This doesn't strike you as weird? The texting? The coordinates?" Sam asked, looking between me and Dean. "Sam! Dad's tellin' us to go somewhere, we're goin'," Dean said.

... ...

We made it to the bar where a cop name, Daniel Gunderson, Walter Kelly's partner, was drinking. We climbed out the Impala, outside the bar. "Okay," Sam started, "Dean and I will go and ask the questions, Scar, you'll stay here."

"Wait," I said, stopping my brothers when they were about to walk to the door. "I have an idea," I said with a smirk.

... ...

After like, 10 minutes, Dean came back, huffing. "What's up with _your_ brother?" He asked, lending beside me on the car. I frowned. "What do you mean?" I asked. "Well, your plan was that Sam will just back up the guy and instead he pushed me away, herd," He said. I shrugged. "I don't know," I said and he scoffed.

And then another 10 minutes, Sam walked out. "Shoved me kinda hard in there, buddy boy," Dean said and I smirked. "I had to sell it, didn't I?" Sam said, throwing his arms up and then walked to the passenger's door, "It's method acting."

"Huh?" Dean asked and I rolled my eyes. "Never mind," Sam said. "What'd you find out from Gunderson?" I asked. "So, Walter Kelly was a good cop. Head of his class, even-keeled, he had a bright future ahead of him," Sam explained.

"What about at home?" Dean asked. "He and his wife had a few fights, like everybody, but he was mostly smooth sailing. They were even talking about having kids," Sam said.

"Alright, so either Kelly had some deep-seated crazy waiting to bust out, or something else did it to him," Dean said. "Right," Sam agreed. "What'd Gunderson tell you about the asylum?" I asked. "A lot," Sam said.


	33. 10-2 Kat

Very early in the morning, me and my brothers jumped over the tall chain linked fence at the asylum. Then, we walked the stairs and walked inside the asylum. I was walking between Sam and Dean.

"So apparently the cops chased the kids here . . ." Sam said, "Into the south wing." He pointed a sign over one door. "South wing, huh?" Dean said. "Wait a second," I said and pulled out Dad's journal and flipped through it. "1972. Three kids broke into the south wing, only one survived. Way he tells it, one of his friends went nuts and started lighting up the place."

Then, I glanced at my brothers. "So whatever's going on, the south wing is the heart of it," Sam said. "But if the kids are spelunking the asylum, why aren't there a ton more deaths?" Dean asked.

"Looks like the doors are usually chained. Could've been chained up for years," Sam informed, walking to the door, where there was a broken chain. "Yeah, to keep people out," Dean said. "Or to keep something in," I added.

We looked at each other before Sam slowly pushed the door open. We looked at each other before we walked inside, down the hallway.

"Let us know if you see any dead people, Haley Joel," Dean said to Sam. "Dude, enough," Sam said. Dean chuckled and said, "I'm serious. You gotta be careful, all right? Ghosts are attracted to that whole ESP thing you got going on."

I sighed. "I told you, it's not ESP! I just have strange vibes sometimes. Weird dreams," Sam said. "Yeah, whatever. Don't ask, don't tell," Dean said and glanced down at the device in his hand.

"You get any reading on that thing or not?" I asked. "Nope. Of course, it doesn't mean no one's home," Dean said. "Spirits can't appear during certain hours of the day," Sam said.

"Yeah, the freaks come out at night," Dean said. "Yeah," Sam agreed. "Hey Sam . . . who do you think is the hotter psychic: Patricia Arquette, Jennifer Love Hewitt, or you?" I asked, deadpan. Sam pushed me but Dean and I just laughed.

We walked into a room and looked around, Dean whistled, "Man. Electro-shock. Lobotomies. They did some twisted stuff to these people. Kinda like my man Jack in Cuckoo's Nest." He made a crazy eyes and grinned at Sam and I but we ignored him.

"So what? Ghosts possessing people?" I asked. "Maybe. Or maybe it's more like Amityville, or the Smurl hunting," Sam said. "Spirits driving them insane. Kinda like my man Jack in The Shining, Dean said and grinned.

"Guys," Sam said and Dean and I looked at him. "When are we going to talk about it?" Sam asked. "Talk about what?" I asked. "About the fact Dad's not here," Sam said.

"Oh. I see. How 'bout . . . Never," Dean said. "I'm being serious, man," Sam said. "He sent us here . . ."

"So am I, Sam," Dean cut him off. "Look, he sent us here, he obviously wants us here. We'll pick up the search later."

"It doesn't matter what he wants," Sam said. "See. That attitude? Right there? That is why Scar and I always get the extra cookies," Dean joked and I rolled my eyes. "Dean, Dad could be in trouble, we should be looking for him," I said, taking Sam's side. Sam nodded, "We deserve some answers, Dean. I mean, this is our family we're talking about."

"I understand that, guys, but he's given us an order," Dean said. "So what, we gotta always follow Dad's orders?" Sam asked. "Of course we do," Dean said as I walked away. I poked around and picked up a sign, "'Sanford Ellicott'," I read as Dean stood beside me.

"You know what we gotta do. We gotta find out more about the south wing. See if something happened here," Dean said as I handed him the sign. He walked over to Sam and gave him the sign. Dean left as Sam and I exchanged glances.

... ...

Me and my brothers decided to go and talk with Dr. James Ellicott, Clinical Psychiatry. Sam went to talk with the man and Dean and I waited outside the building.

It's been like, an hour or so, Dean and I were leaning against the glass windows next to the door, bored. Sam walked out finally. "Dude! You were in there forever. What the hell were you talking about?" I asked as we walked towards the car.

"Just the hospital, you know," Sam replied. "And . . .?" Dean asked. "And the south wing? It's where the housed the really hard cases. The psychotics, the criminally insane," Sam said.

"Sounds cozy," Dean said sarcastically. "Yeah. And one night in '64, they rioted. Attacked staff. Attacked each other," Sam said. "So the patients took over the asylum?" I asked.

"Apparently," Sam said. "Any deaths?" I asked. "Some patients, some staff. I guess it was pretty gory. Some of the bodies were never even recovered, including our chief of staff, Ellicott," Sam said as we stopped near the car.

"Whaddaya mean, never recovered?" Dean asked. "Cops scoured every inch of the place but I guess the patients must've . . . Stuffed the bodies somewhere hidden," Sam said.

"That's grim," Dean said. "Yeah. So, they transfered all the remaining patients and closed the hospital down," Sam said. "So, to sum it up, we've got a bunch of violent deaths and a bunch of unrecovered bodies," Dean said.

"And a bunch of angry spirits," I added. "Good times. Let's check out the hospital tonight," Dean said and we climbed inside the car.

... ...

Night felled and me and my brothers went back to the asylum. We stopped at the door that led to the south wing. Sam pushed open the door and we all walked inside. Sam hold a video camera, I hold the flashlight and Dean hold the EMF meter.

"Getting readings?" I asked Dean. "Yeah, big time," Dean replied. "This place is orbing like crazy," Sam said. "Probably multiple spirits out and about," Dean said. "And if these uncovered bodies are causing the haunting . . ." Sam said. "We gotta find 'em and burn 'em," I said.

"Just be careful though. The only thing that makes me more nervous than a pissed off spirit . . . is the pissed off spirit of a psycho killer," Dean said to Sam. The three of us turned around when we thought there was something there. But there was nothing. I shrugged and the three of us turned around and continued to walk down the hallway.

We keep looking and move into separate rooms. I was with Sam when we felt and heard something. "Did you . . .?" I asked and he nodded. "Yeah, I heard that too," He said.

I looked with Sam in the video and after a minute, we saw an old woman through the video, she was white haired, one eye bloody and hanging out, moving toward us. "Dean? Dean!" Sam and I called as Sam pushed me behind him. Our older brother ran into the room, rummaging in his bag at the same time. "Shotgun!" Sam called.

"Get down!" Dean shouted. Sam pushed me with him to the ground and Dean shoot the woman and she disintegrated. Sam pulled me up with him and the three of us looked around, gasping.

"That was weird," I said and Sam nodded thinking the same thing like me. She didn't attacked us. "Yeah. You're telling me," Dean said and he started to leave the room and Sam and I followed.

"No, Dean, she mean it was weird that she didn't attack us," Sam said. "Looked pretty aggro from where I was standing," Dean said. "She didn't hurt us. She didn't even try," Sam said. "So if she didn't wanna hurt us then what did she want?" I asked.

A noise came from a room that we were passing. I flicked the torch and shined it into the room as Dean immediately raised his shotgun. We approached a metal bed covered in a ragged sheet, on its side.

We saw the top of a blonde head behind it. Sam reached out and tip the bed over. A girl was crouched facing the corner. She spine around, terrified and gasping. "It's alright, we're not going to hurt you. It's okay. What's your name?" Dean asked, lowering the shotgun.

"Katherine. Kat," She replied as she got up to her feet. "Okay. I'm Dean, this is Sam and this is Scarlett," Dean introduced. "What are you doing here?" Sam asked her. "Um. My boyfriend, Gavin," She started.

"Is he here?" I asked. "Somewhere. He thought it would be fun, try and see some ghosts. I thought it was all just . . . You know. Pretend. I've seen things. I heard Gavin scream and . . ." She said.

"Alright. Kat? Come on. Sam and Scar are gunna get you out of here and then we're gunna find your boyfriend," Dean said. "No! No. I'm not going to leave without Gavin. I'm coming with you," She said.

"It's no joke around here, okay. It's dangerous," Dean insisted. "That's why I gotta find him," Kat said. Me and my brothers looked at each other and I shrugged. "Alright, I guess we gunna split up then," Dean said. "Let's go."


	34. 10-3 Finding Gavin

Sam and I were wandering around, looking for Kat's boyfriend, Gavin. "Gavin!" Sam called. "Gavin?" I called. "Where's he?" Sam asked and I shrugged. "I don't know, but as soon as we find him, I'll kick his ass and his girl," I said and he chuckled.

After a little while, Sam and I walked to a room, where we fond Gavin on the ground unconscious. Sam walked to him and crouched down to shake him. "Gavin. Hey, Gavin," He said.

Gavin woke up and he freaked out. "It's okay, We here to help," I said. "Who are you?" Gavin asked. "My name is Sam and this is Scarlett," Sam said and hold his hand to him, "Uh, we found your girlfriend."

"Kat?" Gavin asked as he took Sam's hand and got up to his feet, "Is she alright?" I nodded, "Yeah," I replied. "She's worried about you. Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"I was running. I think I fell," Gavin said. "You were running from what?" I asked. "There was . . . There was this girl. Her face. It was all messed up," Gavin said.

"Okay listen, listen, did this girl . . . Did she try to hurt you?" Sam asked. "What? No, she . . . Uh . . ." Gavin started. I frowned, "She what?"

"She . . . Kissed me," He said. Sam and I exchanged confused glances before looking back at Gavin. "Uh . . . Um . . . But she didn't hurt you, physically?" Sam asked.

"Dude, she kissed me. I'm scarred for life," Gavin said and I rolled my eyes. "Well, trust me, it could have been worse," Sam said. "Now do you remember anything else?"

"She uh . . . Actually, she tried to whisper something in my ear," Gavin said. "What?" Sam and I asked at the same time. "I don't know. I ran like hell," Gavin said.

"Seriously, dude?" I asked and he just shrugged. Then, we heard a scream and we all ran to where it came from. We found Dean, trying to open a metal door, "What's going on?" I asked.

"She's inside with one of them," Dean said and Kat screamed again. "Help me!" She yelled. "Kat!" Gavin called. "Get me outta here!" Kat said.

"Kat, it's not going to hurt you. Listen to me. You've got to face it. You've got to calm down," Sam said. Dean turned to our brother, "She's gotta what?!"

"I have to what?!" Kat asked. "These spirits, they're not trying to hurt us, they're trying to communicate. You gotta face it. You gotta listen to it," I said. "You face it!" She said and I rolled my eyes. "No!" I said. "It's the only way to get out of there," Sam said.

"No!" Kat said. "Look at it, come on. You can do it," I said and it was quiet. "Kat?" Gavin asked. "Man, I hope you guys are right about this," Dean said. Sam and I exchanged glances before saying at the same time, "Yeah, me too."

We waited outside the door in tense silence. The lock clicked and the door slowly opened, reviling Kat, standing at the doorway. Gavin sighed in relief, "Oh, Kat." Dean grabbed her arm gently and pulled her out the room and Sam walked in, looking around with the flashlight.

Sam came back, shaking his head to me and Dean. "137," Kat said and we turned to her. "Sorry?" Dean asked. "It whispered in my ear," Kat said. "137." Me and my brothers looked at each other, "Room number," We said at the same time.

We looked at each other before we crouch against the wall where Dean had dropped his bag. "Alright. So if these spirits aren't trying to hurt anyone -"

"Then what are they trying to do?" Dean cut Sam off. "Maybe that's what they've been trying to tell us," I said. "I guess we'll find out," Dean said and we stood up. "Alright," Sam said and we turned to Kat and Gavin.

"So, now, are you guys ready to leave this place?" Dean asked. "That's an understatement," Kat said. "Okay," Dean said and looked at me and then at Sam, "You and Scar get them outta here," Dean said and he handed Sam the bag. "I'm going to go find room 137." He turned on the flashlight and walked off with it and his shotgun.

Sam and I leaded Kat and Gavin down a hallway. "So. How do you guys know about all this ghost stuff?" Kat asked from behind us. "It's kinda our job," I said. "Why would anyone want a job like that?" She asked.

Sam chuckled. "Had a crappy guidance counselor," He said and I smirked. "And Dean? He's your boss?" Kat asked. I frowned and Sam looked down at her before saying, "No."

We found two doors and Sam tried to open one and I tried to open the other one but it was locked. Sam and I looked at each other and he shook his head. We stuck.

"Alright. I think we have a small problem," Sam said and I sighed. "Let's break it down," Gavin said. "I don't think that's gunna work," I said.

"Then a window," He said. "They're barred," Kat said this time. "Well, how are we supposed to get out?" Gavin asked, looking between me and my brother.

"That's the point. We're not," I said. "There's something in here. It doesn't want us to leave," Sam added. "Those patients . . ." Kat started. "No," Sam said. "Something else."

Sam and I looked for another way out but we couldn't found it. We walked back to Kat and Gavin. "Alright, Scar and I've looked everywhere. There's no other way out," Sam said.

"So what the hell are we gunna do?" Gavin asked. "Well for starters, we're not gunna panic," I said. "Why the hell not!?" He asked and Sam's phone rang and he pulled it out. He answered it, "Hey. Where are you. I'm on my way."

He hang up. "Alright. Scar," He said and looked down at me, "Keep them safe, Dean called, said he in the basement." I nodded and he handed me the shotgun. I grabbed it and the bag and he walked.


	35. 10-4 Finally Outside

I was leaning against the wall, arms crossed with the shotgun on my side, watching Kat crouched down against the opposite wall and Gavin was pacing back and forth.

Kat let out a sighed, "Hey, Gavin?" She asked. Gavin looked at her and walked over to her and crouched beside her, "Yeah?" He asked. "If we make it out of here alive . . ." She started and looked at up, "We are so breaking up."

I smirked while Gavin just stared at her. He opened his mouth to say something, but then a noise was heard around the corner and I immediately grabbed the shotgun from the side.

I hold it up and took a few steps to the corner as Kat and Gavin got up and stood behind me, "Did you hear that?" Kat asked, scared.

"Something's coming," Gavin said and I shushed them both. I was ready to fire if it was a ghost. But then Dean walked around the corner.

I lowered the shotgun. "What are you still doing here? Where's Sam?" Dean asked me. "He went to the basement. You called him," I replied, frowning. "I didn't call anybody," My brother said.

"He said it was you," I said. "Basement, huh?" Dean asked and I frowned. He grabbed the bag and took some extra weapons, "Alright." He stood up and looked at me, "Keep them safe," He said and walked away.

I was leaning again against the wall, watching Kat was crouched down against the opposite wall again and Gavin was leaning beside me against the wall.

I didn't knew why but . . . I had a bad feeling. Then, we heard a noise again at the corner and all of a sudden, a ghost of a woman came. I grabbed the shotgun and aimed it on her as Kat and Gavin quickly stood behind me.

The woman didn't do anything and I frowned as she just stared at me. Then, she took a step closer, "Shoot, Scarlett, shoot!" Gavin said. "Wait," I said as I lowered the shotgun. The woman leaned towards me and whispered in my ear, " _Your brothers are in danger_."

My eyes grow wide and she turned around and walked to the corner. She turned to me for a moment before walking off. I turned to Kat and Gavin, "Can either of you handle a shotgun?"

"What? No!" Gavin said but then Kat said, "I can." He looked at her in amazement and she shrugged, "My Dad took me skeet shooting a coupla times." I handed her the shotgun, "Alright, here. It's loaded with rock salt. It may not kill a spirit, but it will repel it. So if you see something, shoot."

"Okay," She said, nodding. "'kay," I said and ran off towards where the basement was. I ran to the basement, looking for Sam and Dean. Then, I heard noises at the room and ran inside just in time to see Ellicott on top of Dean, his hands on his face lighting up.

"Don't be afraid. I'm going to help you. I'm going to make you all better," Ellicott said. I saw the bag with a lighter there and quickly rushed to the bag and grabbed the lighter. I flicked it and Ellicott's attention snapped at me.

I tossed the lighter at the body before he could do anything and the body started to burn. Ellicott let go of Dean and my brother crawled out of the way and we watched as the ghost turned black and fall to the ground, crumbling on impact.

I rushed over to Dean and he looked at me, "Thanks sis," He said and I smirked. Then, Sam woke up and looked at us. "You're not going to try and kill me, are ya?" Dean asked him and I frowned. "No," Sam said. "Good," Dean said and Sam raised his hand to push his jaw. "Because that would be awkward." And with that I helped them both up, "I don't want to know."

... ...

We finally got outside the building. Kat and Gavin stood side by side in front of us outside the Asylum in front of the Impala and their car.

"Thanks, guys," Kat said. "Yeah. Thanks," Gavin said as he nodded. "No more haunted asylums, okay?" Dean said and they nodded.

We watched as Kat and Gavin walked towards their car. Then we turned to the Impala. "Hey, Dean?" Sam started and Dean and I turned to him. "I'm sorry, man. I said some awful things back there."

"You remember all that?" Dean asked. "Yeah. It's like I couldn't control it. But I didn't mean it, any of it," Sam said. Dean looked doubtful, "You didn't, huh?" Sam frowned, "No, of course not," He insisted. "Do we need to talk about this?"

"No," Dean said, shaking his head and placed the bag on the back seat, "I'm not really in the sharing and caring kinda mood. I just wanna get some sleep." He climbed inside the driver seat and started the engines. "Me too," I agreed and climbed inside the back seat. Sam climbed inside the passenger seat.

... ...

I woke up by Dean's phone ranging. I sighed tiredly and grabbed his phone from the end of the table and checked the number. I frowned and flipped it open and answered, "Hello?" There wasn't an answer. "Hello?"

" _Hey, baby girl_."

My eyes grow wide and I sat straight up in the bed. After a moment, I was able to let the word came out of my mouth,

"Dad?"


	36. 11-1 Scarecrow

"Dad?" I asked. " _Yeah, princess_ ," Dad said. "Where are you? Are you okay?" I asked as Sam woke up and walked to my bed. "Is that Dad?" He asked and I nodded. " _I'm fine, baby girl_ ," Dad replied. " _I'm miss you, and your brothers_."

"We miss you too," I said and Sam grabbed the phone. "Dad? Are you hurt?" He asked. "We've been looking for you everywhere. We didn't know where you were, if you were okay. We're fine. Dad, where are you?"

Dean woke up and sat up on his bed. "What? Why not?" Sam asked. "Is that Dad?" Dean asked. Sam didn't replied so he looked at me and I nodded. "You're after it, aren't you? The thing that killed Mom," Sam said. "A demon? You know for sure?"

"A demon? What's he saying?" Dean asked. "You know where it is?" Sam asked. "Let us help. Why not?" Dean hold his hand, "Give me the phone," He said. "Names? What names, Dad - talk to me, tell me what's going on," Sam said. "No. Alright? No way."

"Give me the phone," Dean reputed. Sam didn't listened and he grabbed the phone. "Dad, it's me. Where are you? Yes, sir. Uh, yeah, I got a pen. What are their names?" Dean asked and Sam and I exchanged glances.

... ...

It's been hours since Dad called. Now, Sam was driving the Impala, Dean was at the passenger seat and I was at the back seat. "Alright, so, the names Dad gave us, they're all couples?" Sam asked. "Three different couples. All went missing," Dean replied.

"And they're all from different towns? Different states?" I asked. "That's right," Dean agreed. "You got Washington, New York, Colorado. Each couple took a road trip cross-country. None of them arrived at their destination, and none of them were ever heard from again."

"Well, it's a big country, Dean. They could've disappeared anywhere," Sam said as I sighed. "Yeah, could've. But each one's route took 'em to the same part of Indiana. Always on the second week of April. One year after another after another," Dean explained.

"This is the second week of April," I pointed out. "Yep," Dean said. "So, Dad is sending us to Indiana to go hunting for something before another couple vanishes?" Sam asked.

"Yahtzee. Can you imagine putting together a pattern like this? All the different obits Dad had to go through? The man's a master," Dean said. I rolled my eyes and I could tell that Sam was annoyed. He pulled over the car to the side of the road and turned off the engines.

Dean looked at him, frowning. "What are you doing?" He asked. "We're not going to Indiana," Sam said. "We're not?" Dean and I asked at the same time. "No," Sam said. "We're going to California. Dad called from a payphone. Sacramento area code."

"Sam," Dean started. "Dean, if this demon killed Mom and Jess, and Dad's closing in, we've gotta be there. We've gotta help," Sam said. "Dad doesn't want our help," Dean said.

"I don't care," Sam said. "He's given us an order," Dean said. "I don't care. We don't always have to do what he says," Sam snapped. "Sam, Dad is asking us to work jobs, to save lives, it's important," Dean said.

"Alright, I understand, believe me, I understand. But I'm talking one week here, man, to get answers. To get revenge," Sam said. "Alright, look, I know how you feel," Dean said. "Do you?" Sam asked and Dean was shocked at his tone and so did I.

"Sam," I warned but he ignored me, "How old were you when Mom died? Four? Jess died six months ago. How the hell would you know how I feel?"

"Dad said it wasn't safe. For any of us. I mean, he obviously knows something that we don't, so if he says to stay away, we stay away," Dean said. "I don't understand the blind faith you and Scar have in the man. I mean, it's like you guys don't even question him," Sam said.

"Yeah, it's called being a good son and a good daughter!" Dean said, defending me. Sam looked angry and he climbed out of the car. "Sam," I called as I climbed out and Dean followed. We both watched Sam unloading things from the trunk.

"You're a selfish bastard, you know that? You just do whatever you want. Don't care what anybody thinks," Dean said. "That's what you really think?" Sam asked. "Yes, it is," Dean said.

"Well, then this selfish bastard is going to California," Sam said and my eyes grow wide. He was leaving? Again? I watched as Sam put on his backpack, looking at me for a moment and then started walking away.

"Sam," I called. "Come on, you're not serious," Dean said. "I am serious," Sam said. "It's the middle of the night! Hey, I'm taking off, I will leave your ass, you hear me?" Dean said and our brother stopped walking and turned around.

"That's what I want you to do," He said. "Sam, don't," I said. "Goodbye, Sam," Dean spoke after a few seconds. He closed the trunk, "Come on, Scar," He said and walked to the driver's door.

Sam and I looked at each other for a moment before walking to the passenger door. Dean and I climbed to our seats. Dean started the engines and we drive away, leaving Sam.

...

I was woke up by someone shaking me on my shoulder. "Scar, wake up," Dean said. I opened my eyes and saw I was in the Impala. We were parked over to the side of the road and I saw it was morning. "We here," Dean said and turned off the engines and we both climbed out.

We both walked to a place with a sign that said, "Scotty's Café." A man was sitting in a chair on the porch and we walked up to him. Dean was looking at the sign, "Let me guess." He pointed to the man, "Scotty."

The man looked at the sign and then back at Dean and me. "Yep," He said. "Hi, my name is John Bonham and this is my sister, Dawn Bonham," Dean said. "Isn't that the drummer for Led Zeppelin?" Scotty asked about Dean's lie.

"Wow. Good. Classic rock fan," Dean said. "What can I do for you, John and Dawn" Scotty asked. I pulled out two pieces of paper out of my pocket. They were the Missing Person flyers for two names, Holly and Vince Parker. "We were wondering if you'd seen these people by chance."

I handed them to Scotty and he looked at the flyers. "Nope. Who are they?" He asked. "Friends of mine," Dean said. "They went missing about a year ago. They passed through somewhere around here, and I've already asked around Scottsburg and Salem -"

"Sorry," Scotty interrupt him. I frowned and he handed the flyers back to me as he said, "We don't get many strangers around here." Dean nodded, "Scotty, you've got a smile that lights up a room, anybody ever tell you that?" Scotty stared at him strangely and Dean chuckled. "Never mind. See you around," He said.

"Sorry about him," I said as I grabbed his arm and we walked away. I looked at Dean, "You've got a smile that lights up a room?" I mocked. "Shut up," He muttered and I chuckled.


	37. 11-2 Tattoo

Dean and I went to Jorgeson General Store. We talked with a man name Harley and his wife, Stacy. I gave the pictures to Harley and he showed it to he wife. They both said they didn't see them.

"You sure they didn't stop for gas or something?" Dean asked. Stacy shook her head. "Nope, don't remember 'em. You said they were friends of yours?" Harley asked as he handed me back the pictures.

"That's right," Dean said as a blonde girl came downstairs carrying some boxes. "Did the guy have a tattoo?" She asked. "Yes, he did," Dean said as she put the boxes on the counter. She walked over to me and looked at the picture of the man, Vince.

She looked at Harley, "You remember? They were just married," She said, handing the pictures to him. He thought for a moment and remembered, "You're right. They did stop for gas. Weren't here more than ten minutes."

"You remember anything else?" I asked. "I told 'em how to get back to the Interstate. They left town," He replied. "Could you point us in that same direction?" Dean asked. "Sure," Harley said.

Once Harley gave us the direction, Dean and I got back to the car and drive by the Orchard. Then, there was a noise coming from the backseat. It came from the EMF meter. "What the hell?" Dean asked and he pulled over as I reached into his bag. I pulled out the EMF meter, which was beeping frantically.

Dean and I exchanged glances before we looked at the Orchard. We climbed out and walked around the Orchard. We stopped when we noticed a scarecrow on it's post. We walked over to it and looked at it.

"Dude, you're fugly," Dean said to the scarecrow. I noticed a sickle in the scarecrow's hand and a design on it's arm. "Hold on," I whispered and took a ladder from a nearby tree. I placed the ladder in front on the scarecrow and climbed to the top so that I was eye level with the scarecrow.

I moved it's clothing and something just clicked in my head. "What did you find?" Dean asked. "Hold on," I said as I pulled out Vince's flyer and compared the designs, which were exactly the same. "I think I found something," I said to Dean and I looked at the scarecrow again, "Nice tattoo."

... ...

We drove to the gas station. Dean pulled up and we climbed out. The same blonde girl was standing by the gas pumps. "You're back," She said, giving us a smile. "Never left," Dean said.

"Still looking for your friends?" She asked and he nodded. I glanced at her nameplate necklace, "Can you fill it up, Emily?" I asked politely. Dean shot me a look. " _Her_ ," I corrected myself. "Can you fill _her_ up, Emily?"

She chuckled and nodded to me before grabbing a pump and started filling up the car's tank. "So, you grew up here?" Dean asked. "I came here when I was thirteen," She replied. "I lost my parents. Car accident. My aunt and uncle took me in."

"They're nice people," I said. "Everybody's nice here," She said with a smile. "So, what, it's the, uh, perfect little town?" Dean joked. "Well, you know, it's the boonies. But I love it. I mean, the towns around us, people are losing their homes, their farms. But here, it's almost like we're blessed," Emily said.

We both nodded. "Hey, you been out to the orchard? You seen that scarecrow?" He asked. "Yeah, it creeps me out," She said, giving a small chuckle. Dean and I laughed. "Yeah," I agreed. "Whose is it?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. It's just always been there," She replied. I glanced at a red van parked by the garage and nodded towards it, "That your aunt and uncle's?" Emily looked over her shoulder at the van, "Customer," She replied as she looked back at us. "Had some car troubles."

"It's not a couple, is it? A guy and a girl?" Dean asked. Emily nodded, "Mmhmm." Dean and I exchanged glances. Not good.

Dean and I walked into Scotty's Café. We saw Scotty talking with a couple whose car broke down. "Oh, hey, Scotty," Dean said and Scotty's smile faded away when he saw us. "Can I get a coffee, black? And can she get some Orange Juice?" Dean asked.

Scotty nodded and walked away. "Oh, and some of that pie, too, while you're at it," Dean called as we went to sat at a table next to the couple. "Hey, how ya doin'?" I asked them with a smile. They waved and smiled at us.

"Just passing through?" Dean asked. "Road trip," The woman replied. "Hm. Yeah, me and my sister too," Dean said, pointing at himself and then at me. They nodded and Scotty walked over to refill their cider, glancing at my brother, "I'm sure these people want to eat in peace."

"Just a little friendly conversation," Dean said, shrugging. Scotty started to walk away but still glanced at Dean, "Oh, and that coffee and the Orange Juice, too, man. Thanks," Dean reminded.

"So, what brings you to town?" I asked. "We just stopped for gas," The woman explained. "And, uh, the guy at the gas station saved our lives." Dean and I exchanged quick glances before he spoke, "Is that right?"

"Yeah, one of our brake lines was leaking. We had no idea. He was fixing it for us," The man explained. "Nice people," Dean said. "Yeah," The man agreed, nodding before he continued to eat.

"So, how long till you're up and runnin'?" Dean asked. "Sundown," The man replied. "Really," Dean said, frowning. "To fix a brake line?" The man nodded. "I mean, you know, I know a thing or two about cars," Dean said. "I could probably have you up and running in about an hour. I wouldn't charge you anything."

"You know, thanks a lot, but I think we'd rather have a mechanic do it," The woman said. "Sure. I know," Dean agreed before he looked at me and then back at the couple, "You know, it's just that these roads. They're not real safe at night."

The couple exchanged a look and the woman frowned, looking at my brother. "I'm sorry?" She asked. "I know it sounds strange, but, uh - you might be in danger," Dean insisted. "Look, we're trying to eat. Okay?" The man said, obviously annoyed.

"Yeah," Dean said, disappointed. I sighed and I could see that the couple were uncomfortable by what Dean said. The bell above the café door rang and someone walked in. Scotty walked out from a back room, "Thanks for coming, Sheriff."

Dean and I looked over and saw the Sheriff at the door and talked with Scotty. I exchanged glances with Dean as Scotty whispered something in the Sheriff's ear. They both looked at me and Dean and Dean rolled his eyes, looking away. Oh boy.

The Sheriff walked over to us, hands on his hips. "I'd like a word, please," He said to my brother. "Come on. I'm having a bad day already," Dean said. The Sheriff placed his hands on the table, leaning towards my brother, "You know what would make it worse?" Dean slowly nodded and I sighed. Great!

... ...

The Sheriff's car was following us to make sure that we leave. When we passed the sign to Burkitsville, I turned around to see the sheriff turning around and drives back to Burkitsville. "He's going back," I said. "And so are we," Dean said.


	38. 11-3 Doing It Wrong

After a while, Dean and I decided it was time to go back to Burkitsville. We get right in time to the orchard to see the couple's car was there, broken. "We need to go find them," Dean said as he turned off the engines and we quickly climbed out. He opened the trunk and we grabbed our guns and ran to the orchard.

I spotted two figures running away, with the scarecrow behind them. "Dean!" I whispered and we both rushed towards them. We stood in front of the couple, "Get back to your car," Dean ordered.

The man glanced behind them and saw the scarecrow getting closer. "Go! Go!" I said and the couple ran passed us. Dean and I both shoot the scarecrow, which stumbled but keep walking.

We started running behind the couple, cocking the guns again, and shooting. Again, the scarecrow kept going. Dean tried one more time, but the scarecrow kept moving so we kept running. "Go! Go!"

We all reached the clearing and then turned around as Dean and I cocks the guns and looked around, but the scarecrow disappeared. "What - what the hell was that?" The man asked, panting. "Don't ask," Dean and I said at the same time.

...

After Dean and I helped with the couple with their car, they thanked us and drive away and me and my brother were in the Impala. I called Sam and we told him what happened, " _The scarecrow climbed off its cross?_ " Sam asked.

"Yeah, I'm tellin' ya. Burkitsville, Indiana. Fun Town," I joked and Dean smirked. " _It didn't kill the couple, did it?_ " Sam asked. "No. We can't cope without you, you know," Dean said.

" _So, something must be animating it. A spirit_ ," Sam said. "No, it's more than a spirit. It's a god," I said. "A Pagan god, anyway," Dean added. " _What makes you say that?_ " Sam asked.

"The annual cycle of its killings? And the fact that the victims are always a man and a woman. Like some kind of fertility right. And you should see the locals," Dean said. "The way they treated this couple. Fattenin' 'em up like a Christmas turkey," I said and he nodded.

" _The last meal. Given to sacrificial victims_ ," Sam said. "Yeah, I'm thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some Pagan god," Dean said. " _So, a god possesses the scarecrow . . ._ " Sam said.

"And the scarecrow takes its sacrifice," I said. "And for another year, the crops won't wilt, and disease won't spread," Dean said. " _Do you know which god you're dealing with?_ " Sam asked. "No, not yet," I admitted.

" _Well, you figure out what it is, you can figure out a way to kill it_ ," Sam encouraged. "We know. We actually on our way to a local community college. We've got an appointment with a professor. You know, since Scar and I don't have our trusty sidekick geek boy to do all the research with her," Dean said. I gave him a small glare while Sam gave a small laugh and Dean sent me a smirk.

" _You know, if you're hinting you need my help, just ask_ ," Sam said. "I'm not hinting anything. Actually, uh - I want you to know . . . I mean, don't think . . ." Dean started. " _Yeah. I'm sorry, too_ ," Sam said.

Dean and I exchanged glances before he sighed and looked back at the road, "Sam. You were right. You gotta do your own thing. You gotta live your own life."

" _Are you serious?_ " Sam asked. "You've always known what you want. And you go after it. You stand up to Dad. And you always have. Hell, I wish I - anyway . . . I admire that about you. I'm proud of you, Sammy," Dean said. "Me too," I said sadly.

" _I don't even know what to say_ ," Sam said. "Say you'll take care of yourself, big bro," I said. " _I will_ ," He promised. "Call us when you find Dad," Dean said. " _OK. Bye, guys_ ," Sam said, his voice was sad. But I was sad too and so did Dean. I hung up the phone and sighed sadly.

... ...

Dean and I got to the Community College and we walked down a staircase with the college professor. "It's not every day I get a research question on Pagan ideology," The Professor said. "Yeah, well, call it a hobby," Dean said.

"But you said you were interested in local lore?" The Professor asked and Dean nodded. "I'm afraid Indiana isn't really known for its Pagan worship," The Professor said.

"What if it was imported?" I asked. "Yeah, you know, like the Pilgrims brought their religion over. Wasn't a lot of this area settled by immigrants?" Dean asked. "Well, yeah," The Professor agreed as we walked down the hallway.

"Like that town near here, Burkitsville. Where are their ancestors from?" Dean asked. "Uh, northern Europe, I believe, Scandinavia," The Professor replied. "What could you tell us about those Pagan gods?" I asked. "Well, there are hundreds of Norse gods and goddesses," The Professor chuckled. "We're actually looking for one," Dean said. "Might live in an orchard."

We went to a classroom and the Professor pulled out a large book and placed it down on a table. He put on his glasses and opened the book, "Woods god, hm? Well, let's see." He leafed through some pages. But then on one page, I noticed a picture of a scarecrow on a post surrounded by farmers in a field, "Wait, wait, wait. What's that one?"

"Oh, that's not a woods god, per se," The Professor said. "The V-Vanir?" Dean read. The Professor nodded and Dean continued, "The Vanir were Norse gods of protection and prosperity, keeping the local settlements safe from harm. Some villages built effigies of the Vanir in their fields. Other villages practiced human sacrifice. One male, and one female." He pointed to the picture, "Kind of looks like a scarecrow, huh?"

"Yep," I agreed. "I suppose," The Professor said. "This particular Vanir that's energy sprung from the sacred tree?" I read. "Well, Pagans believed all sorts of things were infused with magic," The Professor explained. "So what would happen if the sacred tree was torched? You think it'd kill the god?" Dean asked.

The Professor laughed. "Son, these are just legends we're discussing," He said. "Oh, of course. Yeah, you're right," Dean said and I nodded in agreement. "Listen, thank you very much," Dean said. "Yeah, thank you," I said as Dean and The Professor shook hands and then he shook mine, "Glad I could help."

Dean and I walked to the door and Dean opened it. Then I got hit and I fall to the floor as everything went black.

... ...

I groaned as I felt pain at my side of my head. I placed my hand on the side and opened my eyes slowly. It was a little dark. Where am I? Where is Dean?

I heard a moaning to my left and I turned around. "Dean?" I asked. "Scar?" He asked and I could see him. He got up and quickly rushed over to me. He kneeled down to my side, "You okay?" He asked.

I nodded and he sighed in relief and got up, pulling me with him. I looked around, "Are we in a cellar?" I asked. "Looks like it," He replied.

Suddenly, the cellar door opened and Emily was there with Stacy, Harley and the sheriff. Emily was crying, holding by her Uncle, "Aunt Stacy. Uncle Harley, please," She begged. Harley brought her down the stairs and placed her next to us. He glanced at both of us. His eyes were sad, it was like he didn't want to do it. No of it.

He walked back upstairs. "Why are you doing this?" Emily asked. "For the common good," Stacy answered and with that she shut the cellar door, leaving all three of us alone.


	39. 11-4 Do It Together

Dean tried to open the cellar door but he couldn't. "I don't understand. They're gonna kill us?" Emily asked, standing beside me. "Sacrifice us," I replied. "Which is, I don't know, classier, I guess?" Dean said and walked over to us. "You really didn't know anything about this, did you?" He asked Emily.

"About what? The scarecrow god? I can't believe this," She breathed in disbelief. "Well, you better start believing, cause we're gonna need your help," Dean said. "Okay," Emily agreed. "We can destroy the scarecrow, but we gotta find the tree," I said.

"What tree?" She asked. "Maybe you can help us with that," Dean said. "It would be really old. The locals would treat it with a lot of respect, you know, like it was sacred," I explained. Emily thought for a moment, "There was this one apple tree," She informed. "The immigrants brought it over with them. They call it the First Tree."

"Is it in the orchard?" Dean asked. "Yeah, but I don't know where," She replied. Suddenly, the cellar door opened and the four elders were standing there, Scotty and the sheriff were pointing their guns on us. "It's time," Stacy said. Emily, my brother and I looked at each other, nervously.

... ...

At was getting dark as we got to the Orchard. Dean were tying at a tree by the sheriff as Emily was tying by her Aunt and Uncle at a tree near Dean while I was hold by two people. "How many people have you killed, Sheriff?" I snapped. "How much blood is on your hands?"

The sheriff looked at me with was looked like, sad expression, "We don't kill them," He declared. "No," Dean agreed and looked at the man with hard eyes, "But you sure cover up after. I mean, how many cars have you hidden, clothes have you buried?"

The sheriff didn't say anything and just grabbed his rifle and took a step back. "Uncle Harley, please," Emily begged, looking at her Uncle, hoping he will let us go. "I am so sorry, Em," Harley said. "I wish it wasn't you."

"Try to understand," Stacy said. "It's our responsibility. And there's just no other choice. There's nobody else but you." I gave the woman a hard look. I was disgusted with her words. How can someone sacrifice someone else that they love?

"She's your family!" I spat. "That's what sacrifice means," She said to me. "Giving up something you love for the greater good." Harley shook his head, looking disgusted just as I was. He stood up, grabbing his rifle as his wife continued, "The town needs to be safe. The good of the many outweighs the good of the one."

"Let's go," The sheriff said and the two men that hold me started to dragged me away with them. "Hey, hey! Where you taking her?!" Dean yelled. I was straggling against them. "Let me go!" I said. "Scarlett!" Dean yelled. I turned slightly and saw him trying to get out of the ropes, "Dean!"

"Where you taking her?!" He yelled again. "Away from this," The sheriff called back over his shoulder. "Scar!" Dean yelled. "Dean!" I yelled as I started to lose Emily and his figures.

I straggled against the two men again. "Stop, kid," One of them said to me. "No! Let me go!" I yelled at him. We stopped and the sheriff stepped over to me with Scotty. "You need to stop, we trying to help you," The sheriff insisted.

I glanced at him, "I don't need your help and I don't want it," I spat. Scotty sighed, "You will be glad for our help," He started, "We can get you to a _real_ family." My eyes grow wide. Are they real?!

"NO! Let go of me!" I screamed, "DEAN!" The sheriff placed his hand on my shoulder, trying to clam me down. "Clam down, Scarlett."

I glanced at the two men that hold me and I grabbed a hold of one of them by the arm and twisted his arm. The man cried in pain and let go of my arm. I fought the other man as the others backed away. I grabbed the man's arm and flipped him to the ground as he cried in pain as well.

"No! Don't shoot, she's a child!" I heard Harley yelling from behind me. I turned to see one of the people pointing his rifle on me, ready to shot. I looked at the ground and saw the man's gun on the ground beside him.

I grabbed the gun and pointed at the man that had his weapon pointing at me. "Back off!" I ordered. The man slowly lowered the rifle but I kept my gun pointed at each of them. "Scarlett," The sheriff spoke calmly, holding his hands up, "Put the gun down."

I pointed the gun at him and shot a bullet right next the a tree that he was in front of it. They all got down slightly and I took the opportunity to ran away, and I did. I started running away, right where we left Dean and Emily.

I heard footsteps running to my direction, I spotted three figures running. It was Emily, Dean and SAM! I grinned, "Dean! Sam!" I called. The four of us ran to each other. I jumped to my brothers arms and Emily smiled.

"You okay? You okay?" Dean asked as the three of us pulled away, but our arms were still on each other. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I said and they sighed in relief. "Okay, we need to go, right now," Sam said and we turned around to ran away. "Alright, now, this sacred tree you're talking about -"

"It's the source of its power," Dean cut him off. "So let's find it and burn it," Sam said. "We can't. We will do it in the morning," I said. "She's right, let's just shag ass before Leather Face catches up," Dean said.

We got closer to the clearing but then we stopped running when the elders and the few other of the townspeople were there, pointing the rifles on us. We turned around and their were more. We were blocked in all directions.

Emily looked at her Aunt and Uncle, "Please. Let us go," She begged. "It'll be over quickly, I promise," Harley insisted. "Please," Emily begged.

"Emily, you have to let him take you," Harley said. "You have to -" All of a sudden, the scarecrow sticks his sickle through Harley's stomach. My eyes grow wide while Emily and Stacy screamed. Emily buried her face into Dean's shoulder.

Then the scarecrow wrapped it's arm around Stacy's neck and grabbed Harley's leg with the sickle, dragging away both of them as the others ran away.

"Come on, let's go," I said and the four of us ran out of the orchard. We heard a noise and turned around, but the scarecrow and it's victims disappeared.

...

It was morning when we came back to the orchard. Emily showed us where the first tree was. We came with gasoline and a lighter. The tree was marked with Vince's tattoo design. Sam came up to the tree and poured the gasoline on it.

I picked up a long branch and Dean light it. "Let me," Emily spoke. "You know, the whole town's gonna die," Dean remarked as she took the branch from me.

"Good," She said and with that she throw the burning branch onto the tree, and the four of us watched it go up in flames.

... ...

We drove to the bus stop. Emily was getting on a bus to Boston. She smiled at us and I gave a small wave to her. She waved back and took a seat. Me and my brothers watched the bus leave.

"Think she's gonna be alright?" Sam spoke. "I hope so," Dean said. "Me too," I agreed. "And the rest of the townspeople, they'll just get away with it?" Sam asked. "Well, what'll happen to the town will have to be punishment enough," I stated and the we started walking back to the Impala.

"So, can I drop you off somewhere?" Dean asked our brother. "No, I think you're stuck with me," Sam said, smiling slightly. We stopped at the car and I grinned at him, "What made you change your mind?"

"I didn't," Sam replied. "I still wanna find Dad. And you're still a pain in the ass." Dean nodded and I chuckled. "But, Jess and Mom - they're both gone. Dad is God knows where." He looked at Dean, "You, me and Scar. We're all that's left. So, if we're gonna see this through, we're gonna do it together."

I smirked before I fake a sob. "Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful," I said, placing a hand on his arm but he hit it off and the three of us laughed.

"You should be kissing my ass," Sam said as we walked to our doors and glanced at Dean, smirking, "You were dead meat, dude."

"Yeah, right. I had a plan, I'd have gotten out," Dean said. I rolled my eyes. "Right," Sam said sarcastically, "If it wasn't me then Scar would have saved your ass." I laughed and Dean scoffed before the three of us smiled at each other.

 _Sammy was back on the team._


	40. 12-1 Faith

Dean pulled the Impala up into the driveway of the abandoned house, where the rawhead was there. We climbed out and headed to the trunk. Dean pulled out three tasers and handed one to each of us.

"What do you got those amped up to?" Sam asked. "A hundred thousand volts," Dean replied. "Damn," I muttered. "I want this rawhead extra frickin' crispy. And remember, you only get one shot with these things," Dean said and he closed the trunk, "So make it count."

We ran to the house and after searching the house, we decided to check the basement. We moved down the basement stairs. We searched around a bit when a thud came from inside a cupboard. Our eyes snapped in that direction and we shared a look.

My brothers moved to the side as I went to open the cupboard doors. "On three," I whispered and they nodded. "One. Two. Three." I yanked the doors open and two terrified children were inside, covering their ears.

"Is it still here?" Sam whispered. The kids nodded and Dean grabbed the little boy's hand, helping him up as I did with the little girl, "Ok. Grab your sister's hand, come on, we gotta get you out of here. Let's go, let's go," Dean said.

Sam and I helped the kids towards the stairs. As Sam was behind me, he was caught by a hand on his leg, knocking him back down. "Sam!" I said as the children screamed and run to the top of the stairs.

"Sam!" Dean said as he came running around the corner in an attempt to shoot whatever had a grip on our brother.

"Sam, Scar, get 'em outta here!" Dean ordered to us. I throw my taser to him, "Here take this!" I said and Sam and I ran up the stairs and grabbed the kids, getting them out of the house.

"Stay here," I ordered the children and they nodded. Sam and I ran back into the house and to the basement. "Dean!" Sam called and I moved to his side to see our older brother in the corner on a puddle of water, not moving.

"Dean!" I yelled and Sam and I ran to his side. Sam pressed two fingers to his neck to check for a pulse. "Is - Is he alive? Sam, is he alive?" I cried. "He's alive but barely breathing. We need to get him to the hospital," He said. "Come on." He lifted Dean into his arms, carrying him up the stairs and I followed behind.

...

It was morning as we were still at the hospital, waiting for the doctor to come and tell as how was Dean. I was siting on the chair while Sam was standing at the desk with a receptionist, talking.

Then, he walked over to two cops, that were waiting for him and talked with them while I glanced down at the floor. I glanced up and saw the doctor walking up to us. "Hey, Doc. Is he . . ." Sam started as he walked over to me and the doctor.

"He's resting," The doctor replied. "And?" Sam asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "The electrocution triggered a heart attack. Pretty massive, I'm afraid. His heart . . . it's damaged," The doctor explained.

"How damaged?" Sam asked. "We've done all we can. We can try and keep him comfortable at this point. But, I'd give him a couple weeks, at most, maybe a month," The doctor said. "No, no," I said, shaking my head with tears in my eyes. "There's, there's . . . gotta be something you can do, some kind of treatment."

"We can't work miracles, hon. I really am sorry," The doctor said. I shook my head. " _Sorry_? Screw your sorry, it doesn't help," I snapped and walked away, going to Dean's room.

I ran up ahead to Dean's room as Sam followed behind me. I got into the room to see him watching TV. He was pale. Very pale and had dark circles under his eyes. He glanced at me and gave a small smirk, "Hey, Shorty," He called me by one of the nicknames he gave me when I was little. His voice was very weak.

I gave him a small smile, trying to fight my tears from felling. Sam walked in as Dean looked back at the TV. "Have you ever actually watched daytime TV? It's terrible," Dean said.

Sam shook his head and sighed as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "We talked to your doctor," He said. "That fabric softener teddy bear. Oh, I'm gonna hunt that little bitch down," Dean joked but Sam and I didn't smiled and just stared at him.

"Dean," I said and he looked at us. "Yeah," He said and turned off the TV. "All right, well, looks like you're gonna leave town without me."

"What are you talking about? We're not gonna leave you here," I said. "Hey, you two better take care of that car. Or, I swear, I'll haunt your asses," Dean said. "We don't think that's funny," Sam said.

"Oh, come on, it's a little funny," Dean said, smiling weakly. I looked away and so did Sam. We both fought our tears and Dean sighed. "Look, guys, what can I say, it's a dangerous gig. I drew the short straw. That's it, end of story," He said.

"Don't talk like that, alright? We still have options," I said. "What options?" Dean asked. "Yeah, burial or cremation. And I know it's not easy. But I'm gonna die. And you can't stop it."

Sam clenched his jaw and swallowed, "We'll see about that," He said.


	41. 12-2 Elastic Heart

_Three days._

It's been three days and Sam and I were still looking. Right now, I was at the bathroom of the motel room that we both staying in. I walked out of the bathroom and saw Sam was on the phone, "- Alright . . . Just wanted you to know." He hung up and tossed his phone on the bed, fighting his tears.

"Did you call Dad?" I asked sadly and he looked at me. He gave a small nod, "Yeah, just told him but . . . Still didn't answered," He replied. I looked down for a moment before looking back at my brother, "He's going to be okay . . . Right?" I asked, fighting my tears but a single tear fell down.

Sam's eyes soften more and he hold his hand to me. I walked over and grabbed his hand as I sat down beside him on his bed. "He's going to be okay," He promised. "I found someone from Dad's friends that can help us."

"You did?" I asked, hope was in my voice. He gave a small smile and a small nod. "Yeah. Dean is going to be okay, trust me," He said and for the first time for three days, I smiled.

He smiled back and then there was knock on the door. "I'll get it," I said and ran to open it as Sam chuckled slightly. I opened the door and saw no other then Dean, leaning against the wall, looking terrible.

"Dean?" I gasped and he smirked weakly. "Hey, Shorty," He said as I hugged him. He placed a kiss on the top of my head as Sam walked over. Dean and I pulled away and I saw Sam looked surprised, happy and confused all at once and so was I. "What the hell are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"I checked myself out," Dean replied as he walked inside. "Are you crazy?" I asked as I let him lean on me. "Well, I'm not gonna die in a hospital where the nurses aren't even hot," He joked.

Sam and I huffed a laugh and Sam shot the door. "You know, this whole 'I laugh in the face of death' thing? It's crap. We can see right through it," He said. "Yeah, whatever, dude," Dean said and I started to led him to a chair as he asked, "Have you guys even slept? You two look worse than me, well Sam, you look worse than me."

"We've been scouring the Internet for the last three days. Calling every contact in Dad's journal," Sam said. "For what?" Dean asked as me and Sam sat on our beds in front of the chair.

"For a way to help you," I replied. "One of Dad's friends, Joshua, he called me back. Told me about a guy in Nebraska. A specialist," Sam informed. Dean looked at Sam and then at me before back, "You two not gonna let me die in peace, are you?" He asked. "We're not gonna let you die, period. We're going," I ordered, narrowing my eyes.

He frowned at me, "Is this your time of the month or what?" He asked and my eyes grew wide before grabbing a pillow and throw it on him. The pillow hit him on the chest and his chair fell backwards, "Wow," Dean said as he fell with the chair.

I gasped and covered my mouth from laughing. Sam gasped and quickly stood up and rushed to help Dean up. "Man, never ever, piss them off when they on their period," Dean said and I narrowed my eyes on him.

... ...

The Impala bumped along a graveled road toward a white cirucus tent set up in a large field. A lot of people were gathering around the entrance. Sam and I climbed out the car and I helped Dean to get out of the car.

"I got it," Dean snapped and I narrowed my eyes on him, "I'm helping and you snapping at me?" I snapped back as Sam walked to our side.

Dean's eyes soften. "Sorry, Munchkin," He apologized, calling me by the second nickname he gave me when I was little. He then looked around, "Man, you guys are lying bastards. Thought you said we were going to see a doctor."

"I believe we said a specialist," I corrected as we started walking to the tent. "Look, Dean, this guy's supposed to be the real deal," Sam said.

"I can't believe you brought me here to see some guy who heals people out of a tent," Dean said as an older woman with an umbrella passed by, "Reverend LeGrange is a great man."

"Yeah, that's nice," Dean said sarcastically as we passed a man who seemed to be protesting was escorted away by a cop, "I have a right to protest. This man is a fraud. And he's milking all these people out of their hard-earned money."

"Sir, this is a place of worship. Let's go. Move it," The Sheriff said. "I take it he's not part of the flock," Dean said. "But when people see something they can't explain, there's controversy," Sam explained.

"I mean, come on, guys, a faith healer?" Dean asked. "Maybe it's time to have a little faith, Dean," I said. "You know what I've got faith in? Reality. Knowing what's really going on," Dean said.

"How can you be a skeptic? With the things we see everyday?" Sam asked. "Exactly. We see them, we know there real," Dean said.

"But if you know evil's out there, how can you not believe good's out there, too?" Sam asked as we stopped near the tent. "Because I've seen what evil does to good people," Dean replied.

"Maybe God works in mysterious ways," A voice said in front of us and we looked to see a pretty blonde stood there with a kind smile.

Dean checked her out and smiled, "Maybe he does. I think you just turned me around on the subject." Sam and I smirked and the woman giggled, "Yeah, I'm sure."

"I'm Dean. This is Sam and this is Scarlett," Dean introduced as he hold his hand out. She shook his hand, "Layla. So, if you're not a believer, then why are you here?"

"Well, apparently my brother and sister believe enough for the three of us," Dean said and I smirked again.

An older woman approached Layla and placed an arm around her, "Come on, Layla. It's about to start." The woman smiled at us before walking inside.

"Well, I bet you she can work in some mysterious ways," Dean said, watching Layla. I rolled my eyes and made a sound of disgust before we walked into the tent.

The tent was full of people finding seats, a small stage at the front had a lecturn with candles on it. "Yeah, peace, love, and trust all over," Dean comment, looking at the corner. Sam and I followed his gaze to a security camera.

I shrugged as Dean moved to take a seat at one of the three chairs near the back but I stopped him. "Come on," I said as Sam took his other side. "Don't! What are you doing? Let's sit here," Dean insisted.

"No, we're sitting up front," I said. "What? Why?" He asked. Sam and I moved him up the aisle, "Come on," Sam said. Dean growled, "Oh, come on, guys."

"You alright?" Sam asked. "This is ridiculous," Dean said and slapped his hands away, "I'm good, dude, get off me." I pointed at three empty seats behind Layla and her mother and we sat down and I sat between them.

Music started to play and a man who appeared blind walked onto the stage. Mast be the Reverend Roy. "Each morning, my wife, Sue Ann, reads me the news. Never seems good, does it?" The crowd agreed with him. "Seems like there's always someone committing some immoral, unspeakable act."

As he spoke, I glanced at a table on stage, filled with religious items. I noticed an old wooden cross that was topped by a smaller cross in a circle. I frowned. It looked familiar but from where? "But, I say to you, God is watching," Roy said.

The crowd shouted more agreements. "God rewards the good, and He punishes the corrupt. It is the Lord who does the healing here friends. The Lord who guides me in choosing who to heal by helping me see into people's hearts."

"Yeah, and into their wallets," Dean murmured. "You think so, young man?" Roy asked him. "Sorry," Dean apologized. "No, no. Don't be. Just watch what you say around a blind man, we've got real sharp ears," Roy joked and the crowd laughed.

"What's your name, son?" Roy asked. Dean cleared his throat, hesitating, "Dean."

"Dean," Roy repeated and nodded to himself. "I want - I want you to come up here with me." The crowd clapped and Sam and I looked at each other before looking at Dean, who didn't moved. Roy's wife, Sue Ann, moved to the center stage, smiling.

"No, it's ok," Dean said, shaking his head. "What are you doing?!" I whispered. "You've come here to be healed, haven't cha?" Roy asked him. "Well, yeah, but ahh . . ." Dean said, hesitating again and the crowd clapped and made encouraging noises. ". . . Maybe you should just pick someone else," Dean finished.

Both Sam and I looked at him like he was insane. The crowd clapped loudly. "Oh, no. I didn't pick you, Dean, the Lord did," Roy said. "Get up there!" Sam ordered.

We both smiled as Dean got up from the seat and moved toward the stage as the crowd clapped again. Sue Ann moved to assist and stood him next to Roy. "You ready?" Roy asked Dean, who looked at me and Sam.

He looked at the blind man, "Look, no disrespect, but ahh, I'm not exactly a believer," He said and Roy smiled, "You will be, son. You will be." Then he looked at the crowd, "Pray with me, friends."

The crowd lifted their arms up and joined hands with each other. Roy lifted his hands to the air, then placed one on Dean's shoulder, then on the side of his head. Then, I started to get ready to stood up when I saw Dean's eyes glaze over. His knees weaken and he sink to his knees while Roy's hand still on his head

Dean wobbled, his eyes fall back in his head and he slipped to the stage floor. I immediately jumped from my chair and ran to the stage with Sam following behind me. "Dean!" Sam and I called as the crowd was clapping excitedly. Sam and I took Dean sides as he opened his eyes and gasped.

"Dean, are you okay?" I asked. "Say Something!" Sam said. Dean just stared at Roy, shocked and I frowned.


	42. 12-3 A Reaper

The next morning, Sam and I convinced Dean that we should go to the hospital to check him up. Dean sat in a hospital bed, waiting for his results while Sam and I were standing.

"So, you really feel okay?" Sam asked. "I feel fine, Sam," Dean said, unhappy. I could see that something was bothering him but I didn't knew what.

The doctor came in with the paperwork, "Well, according to all your tests there's nothing wrong with your heart. No sign there ever was. Not that a man your age should be having heart trouble, but, still it's strange it does happen."

"What do you mean, strange?" I asked, frowning. "Yeah, what do you mean?" Dean asked. "Well," She started, crossing her arms, "Just yesterday, a young guy like you, twenty-seven, athletic. Out of nowhere, heart attack."

"Thanks, Doc," Dean said and she nodded, "No problem," She said before leaving. Dean pursed his lips before he looked at me and Sam, "That's odd."

"Maybe it's a coincidence. People's hearts give out all the time, man," Sam said. "No, they don't," Dean retorted, shaking his head.

"Look, Dean, do we really have to look this one in the mouth? Why can't we just be thankful that the guy saved your life and move on?" Sam begged. Dean stood up, "Because I can't shake this feeling, that's why."

"What feeling?" I asked softly as he turned around, putting his jacket on. "When I was healed, I just . . . I felt wrong. I felt cold. And for a second . . . I saw _someone_. This, uh, this old man. And I'm telling you, guys, it was a spirit."

"But if there was something there, Dean, I think we would've seen it, too. I mean, I've been seeing an awful lot of things lately," Sam said and Dean turned to face us, "Well, excuse me, psychic wonder. But you're just gonna need a little faith on this one. I've been hunting long enough to trust a feeling like this."

"Yeah, alright," Sam agreed, sighing. "What do you wanna do?" I asked. "I want you two to go check out the heart attack guy," Dean said. "I'm gonna visit the reverend."

... ...

Dean dropped Sam and me off and we both talked with an employee as we walked by the swimming locker room, "I'm telling you, he seemed healthy. Swam every day, didn't smoke. So, a heart attack just kind of seemed, well, bizarre."

"And you said he was running, right before he collapsed?" Sam asked. "Yeah, yeah, he was freaking out. He said that something was, uh, was after him," The man said.

"Did he say what?" I asked. "Well, thin air is what. I mean, it wasn't anything," He replied. "Alright, thanks," Sam said, nodding to him. I gave the man a small smile and Sam and I walked pass him as he gave us a small nod.

As we were leaving, we noticed the clock on the wall wasn't working. "Hey, buddy? Your, uh, your clock's busted," Sam said. The man stood beside us, "Oh, yeah, we, uh, can't get it workin'. Just froze at 4:17."

"Is that the same time Marshall died?" I asked, frowning. He looked at me, surprise, "How'd you know?" He asked. Sam and I exchanged quick glances before looking back at the man, "Thanks again," I said and we both left.

"What now?" I asked. He sighed, "Now, we going to find out what's going on," He said.

... ...

Sam and I were at our motel room for a while until Dean came back. He throw his car keys on his bed and took off his jacket. Sam was at his laptop and I looked between him and Dean, sitting in front of Sam with a book.

"What'd you find out?" Dean asked but Sam didn't looked up at him. "I'm sorry," Sam spoke quietly. "Sorry about what?" Dean asked, frowning. "Marshall Hall died at 4:17," I spoke as Sam finally looked up. Dean looked stunned, "The exact time I was healed."

"Yeah. So, we put together a list of everyone Roy's healed, six people over the past year, and I cross-checked them with the local obits," Sam said and I handed Dean the papers and he sat down beside me as Sam continued, "Every time someone was healed, someone else died. And each time, the victim died of the same symptom LeGrange was healing at the time."

"Someone's healed of cancer, someone else dies of cancer?" Dean asked. "Somehow. LeGrange . . . he's trading a life for another," I said. "Wait, wait, wait. So, Marshall Hall died to save me?" Dean asked.

"Dean, the guy probably would've died anyway. And someone else would've been healed," Sam said, upset. "You guys never should've brought me here," Dean said and he got up.

"Dean, we were just trying to save your life," I said. "Some guy is dead now because of me, Scarlett!" He yelled and I slightly jumped in my seat from his voice. He never yelled at me before. His eyes soften and he seemed to regret for yelling at me like that.

"Dean, we didn't know. You angry but don't take it out on Scar," Sam said. "I know," Dean said as I looked away. "I'm sorry, Shorty," He said softly and I gave a small nod.

"The thing I don't understand is how is Roy doing it? How's he trading a life for a life?" Sam asked. "Oh, he's not doing it. Something else is doing it for him," Dean said. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"The old man I saw on stage. I didn't wanna believe it, but deep down I knew," Dean said. "You knew what? What are you talking about?" Sam asked, confused just as I was.

"There's only one thing that can give and take life like that," Dean said. "We're dealing with a reaper."


	43. 12-4 The Cross

Sam, Dean and I were at the table, searching the internet and books for any information we could find. "You really think it's THE Grim Reaper?" Sam asked. "Like, angel of death, collect your soul, the whole deal?"

"No, no, no, not THE reaper, A reaper. There's reaper law in pretty much every culture on earth, it goes by 100 different names, it's possible that there's more than one of them," Dean said.

"But you said you saw a dude in a suit," Sam said. "What, you think he shoulda been working the whole black robe thing?" Dean asked, "You said it yourself that the clock stopped right? Reapers stop time. And you can only see 'em when they're coming at you which is why I could see it and you couldn't."

"Maybe," Sam said. "There's nothing else it could be, Sam. The question is how is Roy controlling the damn thing?" Dean asked.

"That cross," I murmured, frowning as I remembered the cross I saw on the stage. "What?" Sam and Dean asked at the same time.

"There was this cross," I informed as I looked through the cards, "I noticed it in the church and I knew I had seen it before." I found the card and snort before holding it up to them. "Here."

"A Tarot?" Dean asked as he took the card from my hand. "It makes sense," I said. "A tarot dates back to the early christian era right, when some priests were still using magic? And a few of them veered into the dark stuff? Necromancy and how to push death away, how to cause it?"

"So Roy's using black magic to bind the reaper?" Dean asked. "If he is he's riding the whirlwind," Sam said. "It's like putting a dog leash on a great white."

Dean got up from his chair and placed his cup into the sink before leaning back against it, "Ok then we stop Roy." I frowned, "How?"

"You know how," Dean said. "Wait, what the hell are you talking about Dean, we can't kill Roy," Sam said. "Sam, the guy's playing God, he's deciding who lives and who dies. That's a monster in my book," Dean said.

"No. We're not going to kill a human being, Dean," Sam said. "If we do that, we're no better than he is," I spoke up. "Ok, we cant kill Roy, we can't kill death. Any bright ideas, smart asses?" Dean asked.

"Ok. uh . . . If Roy's using some kind of black spell on the reaper, we gotta . . . figure out what it is. And how to break it," Sam said.

... ...

The Impala bounced down the badly graveled and potholed road again. We parked outside the church tent and climbed out the car. "If Roy's using a spell, there might be a spell book," Sam said.

"See if you guys can find it," Dean said and looked down at his watch, "Hurry up too, the service starts in fifteen minutes. I'll try to stall Roy."

The same protester hold out a leaflet to Dean, "Roy LeGrange is a fraud. He's no healer." Dean took the leaflet, "Amen Brother," He said. Sam clapped the man on the shoulder, "You keep up the good work."

"Thank you," The man said and me and Sam walked away in different direction from Dean as he was heading towards the tent while me and Sam went towards the house.

Sam and I waited around the corner of the porch of Roy's house. We saw Roy coming down the stairs, assisted by Sue Ann on one arm, a dark haired man the other.

As soon as they were out of sight, Sam and I went around the corner and found an unlocked window. Sam climbed in first and then I climbed in. Then, we went our separate ways, searching the all rooms of the house.

I found a door that was locked and I frowned. "Sam," I said and he came over to me. I pick locked the door and we both walked inside. It looked like an Office and there was a bookcase filled with books.

Sam and I scanned the books. The entire shelf was dusty except for one space in front a book. I pulled it out and flipped through the pages but nothing. "What's that?" Sam asked and I looked to where his gaze was and saw something at the back of the shelf. Sam pulled out a small book that was hidden in the back.

He flipped through the pages in the small book and there was a picture of a skeleton reaper, and on another page the wooden cross I saw earlier in the tent. There were also clippings of newspapers in there and I took them out.

There were the articles of all the victims, they all seemed like religious outcasts. The man who had died for Dean was an openly gay teacher and a woman who was an abortion rights advocate. But there was a picture of someone who wasn't dead yet; the protester from outside.

"Sam," I said and he looked at it. We shard a look before walking out the house with the small book. I called Dean and put it on speaker.

" _What have you got?_ " He asked. "Roy's choosing victims he sees as immoral. And we know who's next on his list," Sam said. "Remember that protestor?" I asked.

" _What, the guy in the parking lot?_ " He asked. "Yeah," Sam and I said at the same time. "We'll find him. But you can't let Roy heal anyone, alright?" I said. " _Alright_ ," Dean said and hung up.

Sam and I ran to the parking lot to look for the man. "Where is he?" I asked. "I don't know," Sam replied. "You look that way, l'll go this way." I nodded and we split.

I walked around the cars, looking around for the protestor. "Help!" Someone yelled. It was the protestor. I looked around, searching for where his voice came from. "Help!" Sam ran over to me, "Come on," He said and we ran to where the voice came from.

"Help! Help me please!" The man yelled. We found him, leaning against a red cr, looking off in front of him in pure fear. "Where is he?!" Sam asked as we looked around wildly. Sam pulled me behind him as the man grabbed Sam's shoulder and pointed in the front but we both couldn't see anything there.

"Fine, come on!" I said as Sam grabbed the man and we ran away. We ran for a bit until we stopped when Sam's phone rang. Sam answered while me and the protester looked around.

"David, I think it's ok," Sam said. David looked around at us, nodding, then turned back. "No," He said and he started to fall to the floor. His skin turned a deathly pale and his eyes glazing over.

"Dean it didn't work. The reaper's still coming!" Sam said. "I'm telling you, I'm telling you it didn't work." I looked at Sam, realizing something. "Roy is not the one controlling this thing." With that I ran to the tent. People were outside the tent as I ran inside.

I ran into Dean and looked around quickly. I saw someone still in there at the corner. Sue Ann. I ran towards her, Dean following behind me. When we reached her, I forcefully spun her around and saw she was clutching the cross to her chest.

She stared at me and Dean and tucked the cross inside her blouse, "Help! Help me!" She cried. We backed up a little and I narrowed my eyes at the woman. I was grabbed by my shoulders and looked up to see two cops and two others grabbing Dean roughly and pulled us both away.

The cops took me and Dean out of the tent as Sue Ann followed behind. "I just don't understand," She said and stood in front of us, looking at Dean. "After everything we've done for you. After Roy healed you. I'm just very, very disappointed Dean."

Dean just stared at her but I narrowed my eyes at her. Trying my best to not attack her. "You can let him and the girl go. I'm not gonna press charges. The Lord will deal with them both as he sees fit," She said and with that she left.

"We catch you round here again kids, we'll put the fear of God in you, understand?" One of the cops threatened. "Yes sir, fear of god. Got it," Dean said while I gave the cop a glare.

The cops pushed us before walking away. Dean wrapped his arm around my shoulder and we turned to see Layla. "Layla?" Dean started before looking down at me. "Scar, why don't you go to Sam, okay?" I gave a small nod and gave the woman a small smile before walking away.

I walked up to Sam. "Hey, is the guy okay?" I asked. "Yeah. Are you?" He asked, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. I nodded, "Yeah." We saw Dean walking over to us as we heard Roy and Sue Ann talking with Layla's mother, "Private session tonight, no interruptions. I give you my word, I'll heal your daughter."

"Thank you reverend," Layla's mother said. "God bless you."


	44. 12-5 Hell Of A Week

We got back to the motel. Sam sat down on the bed, "So Roy really believes," He said. "I don't think he has any idea what his wife's doing," Dean said.

"Well, Sam and I found this," I said, pulling out the little book. "Hidden in their library." Dean sat down on the bed I was. "It's ancient. Written by a priest who went dark side. There's a binding spell in here for trapping a reaper." I handed the book to Dean.

"Must be a hell of a spell," Dean said. "Yeah," Sam agreed as Dean opened the book. "You gotta build a black alter with seriously dark stuff. Bones, human blood. To cross a line like that, a preachers wife. Black magic. Murder. Evil."

"Desperate," Dean said. "Her husband was dying, she didn't have anything to save him. She was using the binding spell to keep the reaper away from Roy."

"Cheating death," I said and scoffed, "Literally." I shook my head. "Yeah, but Roy's alive, so why is she still using the spell?" Dean asked.

"Right. To force the reaper to kill people she thinks are immoral," Sam said. Dean shook his head, "May God save us from half the people who think they're doing God's work," He said.

"We gotta break that binding spell, guys," Sam said. Dean looked at the picture of the cross in the book, "You know Sue Ann had a coptic cross like this. When she dropped it the reaper backed off."

"So you think we gotta find the cross or destroy the alter?" I asked. "Maybe both," Dean said. "Whatever we do we better do it soon, or he's healing Layla tonight."

... ...

The Impala pulled outside the church tent. We saw Layla's car was already here. "That's Layla's car. She's already here," Sam stated.

"Yeah," Dean replied, nodding sadly. "Dean . . ." I started softly but he cut me off, "You know if Roy woulda picked Layla instead of me she'd be healed right now."

"Dean, don't -"

"And if she's not healed tonight she's gonna die in a coupla months," He cut me off again. "What's happening to her is horrible. But what are you gonna do? Let somebody else die to save her? You said it yourself Dean, you can't play God," Sam said.

Dean sat without speaking, then climbed out of the car. Sam and I exchanged quick glances before following. We walked up to the tent and peeked inside. Roy was speaking to a small group of the faithful, including Layla and her mother.

"Where's Sue Ann?" Dean asked. "Must be in the house," I said and we moved to the house. "Go find Sue Ann, I'll catch up," Dean said as he pushed me and Sam away, "What are you gonna . . .?" Sam trailed off as we both noticed the cops.

Sam pulled me to the bushes so Dean could get the cops attention. "Hey!" Dean called. "You gonna put that fear of God in me?" With that he took off and the cops ran after him.

"I'll check the house, you'll go see if you can find her on the property," Sam said. I nodded and ran off. At first I checked the property around the house then I started to go further.

I groaned. "Where the hell is that bitch?" I asked myself. "Scar!" A voice called from behind me. I turned around and saw Dean walking towards me from the distances. I waved my hand up before frowning as the lights started to go off.

Dean stopped as well, looking up at the lights. I turned around and saw a very pale man with wrinkled skin and sunken eyes, in a suit, walking up to me. I gasped. It was the reaper. "Dean!" I yelled.

The reaper placed his hand on the side of my head and I could feel the life started to drain out of me. "Scarlett!" Dean yelled as he ran up to me as I started to collapse to my knees. I felt cold.

All of a sudden, I heard whispers and the reaper looked confused for a second. When I thought I was done for, the reaper stopped and looked up. I fall to the ground, gasping as Dean came over and grabbed me. "Hey, hey, you okay? You okay?" He asked, grabbing my cheeks.

I nodded. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I said. He sighed in relief and pulled my to a tightly hug. I rested my head on his shoulder. "Now, I know how it's feel," I murmured. "I wish you didn't," He said, giving a small chuckle.

I frowned. "Hey, Dean," I started as we pulled away. "Did you hear whispers?" He frowned. "No. Why?" He asked. I shook my head, thinking it wasn't real. "Nothing," I said before he pulled me up with him and we walked to the Impala.

Sam came to the car at the same time and he rushed to my side, worried. "You okay?" He asked, grabbing my face in his hands. "Yeah," I replied.

"Hell of a week," Dean said and opened my door for me. I climbed inside and closed my eyes as my brothers climbed inside.

...

The next day, we were getting ready to leave. I glanced at Dean, who was sitting at the bed, staring at nothing. "Are you okay?" I asked, snapping him from his thoughts. "Yeah," He replied. "What is it?" Sam asked.

"Nothing," Dean replied. Sam and I looked at each other before looking at him. "What is it?" Sam asked gently. "We did the right thing here didn't we?" Dean asked. "Of course we did," Sam said.

"It doesn't feel like it," Dean said, looking down. There was a knock on the door. "I'll get it," I said and walked to the door. I opened it and smiled when I saw it was Layla. She smiled at me. "Hey, Layla. Come on in," I said.

"Hey," She said and walked inside as Dean stood up. "Hi. How did you know we were here?" He asked. "Scar . . . Called. She said you . . . Wanted to say goodbye?" She said.

Dean glanced at me and I shrugged, giving an innocent smile. "I have no idea where she got that," I joked and they all chuckled. "I think we gonna grab something to drink," Sam said, patting my shoulder. I gave Layla one last smile and she returned it before me and Sam left.

"Hey, Sam," I started and he looked at me. "I want Pie!" He laughed and nodded. "Yeah, okay."


	45. 13-1 Route 666

Sam was leaning against the Impala, looking at a map laid out on top of the car, Dean was standing off the side with his phone to his ear while I sat in the backseat with the door open and Dean's sunglasses on me.

"Ok. I think I found a way we can bypass that construction just east of here. We might even make Pennsylvania faster than we thought," Sam said and gave me a smile. "Thank god!" I said and he gave a chuckle.

"Can't we please, please, switch places sometimes," I begged and he laughed. "I'll think about it," He said. I sighed and looked at Dean. He snapped his phone shut, looking thoughtful.

"Yeah. Problem is, we're not going to Pennsylvania," Dean said as he walked over to the driver door. I pushed the sunglasses to the top of my head. "We not?" I asked.

"Nope. I just got a call from an, uh, old friend. Her father was killed last night, think it might be our kind of thing," Dean said. "What?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Believe me, she never woulda called, never, if she didn't need us," Dean said before climbing into the car and looked out the window to where Sam was standing, "Come on, are you coming or not?"

Sam and I looked at each other before he climbed inside as I closed my door.

The Impala cruised down the road, fields on one side, a lake on the other. "So who is that friend?" I asked. "Well . . . You remember Cassie?" Dean asked.

My eyes grow wide. "Cassie?" I reputed with a grin and leaned into the front seat. "Yeah. That's her," He said. "Old friend." I scoffed.

"By old friend you mean . . .?" Sam trailed off. "A friend that's not new," Dean said. "Oh yeah, thanks," Sam said sarcastically. "So her name's Cassie huh? You guys never mentioned her."

"Didn't we?" Dean asked. "No, we didn't," I agreed. "Yeah, me and her went out," Dean said to Sam. "You mean you dated somebody? For more than one night," Sam joked.

I giggled. "Am I speaking a language you're not getting here? Dad and I were working a job in Ohio, she was finishing up college. We went out for a coupla weeks," Dean said.

"And . . .?" Sam asked. Dean shrugged slightly as I sat back. "Look, it's terrible about her Dad, but it kinda sounds like a standard car accident. I'm not seeing how it fits with what we do," Sam said. "Which by the way, how does she know what we do?"

I frowned and looked at Dean, who shifted. "You told her?!" I yelled. He didn't reply. "You told her, the secret! Our big family rule number one. We do what we do and we shut up about it. For a year and a half I do nothing but lie to Jessica, and you go out with this chick in Ohio a coupla times and you tell her everything?" Sam asked.

Dean stayed silent, staring straight ahead. "Dean!" Sam called. "Yeah. Looks like," Dean said before he continued staring ahead and put's his foot down. Sam gave his bitch face, shaking his head.

"Is that why she dumped you?" I joked, frowning. Sam tried not to laugh but he let out a small chuckle while Dean gave me his bitch face through the rearview mirror. "Sorry," I murmured, sinking down at my seat and pushing the sunglasses to my eyes again.

... ...

Soon, we got to the newspaper office. I climbed out the car and ran to the office. "Scar, wait up!" Dean called. "Nope!" I called back and ran inside as I heard Sam laughing.

I looked around and my eyes landed on a young woman with mocha skin, a middle aged man with pale skin and an older man with deep chocolate skin. "Two black people were killed on the same stretch of road in the same way in two week," The older man with deep chocolate skin said.

"Jimmy, you're too close to this," The man with pale skin said as Sam and Dean walked inside. "Those guys were friends of yours. Again, Cassie, I'm very sorry for your loss." With that the man walked away.

The man, Jimmy walked away as well and I ran over Cassie. I grinned as I stepped in front of her. She looked angry but then her eyes landed down at me and her eyes grow wide. "Scarlett?"

"Surprise!" I said. She laughed and I throw my arms around her. She hugged me back immediately. "Look at you!" She said with a smile and we pulled away. I laughed and wrapped my arms around her again as I turned her around.

She laughed, "What -" She stopped when she saw Dean. He gave her a small nod and grinned. "Dean," She breathed out. "Hey, Cassie," Dean greeted and they stared at each other for a long moment, not speaking. I grinned and walked over to Sam, who was watching as well, smiling to himself.

Dean then cleared his throat, "This our brother, Sam," He introduced. Cassie smiled at Sam, who returned one of his own before her gaze returned to Dean. "Sorry bout your Dad," He said. "Yeah. Me too," She said and they kept staring at each other.

... ...

It was night time when Cassie took us to her mother's house. Me and my brothers were sitting in the living room as Cassie came from the kitchen, carrying in a tray of tea and cups. "My mother's in pretty bad shape. I've been staying with her. I wish she wouldn't go off by herself. She's been so nervous and frightened. She was worried about Dad."

"Why?" Dean asked. "He was scared. He was seeing things," She replied, pouring the tea. "Like what?" I asked. "He swore he saw an awful-looking black truck following him," She explained.

"A truck. Who was the driver?" Sam asked. "He didn't talk about a driver. Just the truck," Cassie said and came over, handing the cups of tea. "He said it would appear and disappear. And, in the accident, Dad's car was dented, like it had been slammed into by something big."

"Thanks," Sam said as she handed him the cup. "Now you're sure this dent wasn't there before?" I glanced at Dean and smirked when I saw him looking at his cup of tea like it's an alien, and quickly placed it on a side table.

"He sold cars," Cassie explained. "Always drove a new one. There wasn't a scratch on that thing. It had rained hard that night. There was mud everywhere. There was a distinct set of muddy tracks leading from dad's car . . . leading right to the edge, where he went over." She bowed her head, getting her emotions under control. "One set of tracks. His."

"The first was a friend of your fathers?" I asked softly. "Best friend," She said. "Clayton Soames. They owned the car dealership together. Same thing. Dent. No Tracks. And the cops said exactly what they said about dad. He 'lost control of his car.'"

"Can you think of any reason why your father and his partner might be targets?" Dean asked. "No," She said, shaking her head. "And you think this vanishing truck ran them off the road?" Sam asked.

"When you say it aloud like that . . . listen, I'm a little skeptical about this . . . ghost stuff . . . or whatever it is you guys are into," She said. Dean huffed, "Skeptical," He repeated. "If I remember, I think you said I was nuts."

"That was then," She said. "I just know that I can't explain what happened up there. So I called you." Then, the front door opened and we all got up as a middle aged woman with pale white skin entered. It was Cassie's mother.

Cassie went over to her, "Mom. Where have you been I was so -"

"I had no idea you'd invited friends over," Her mother cut her off as she looked at me and my brothers.

"Mom, you remember Scarlett, right?" Cassie asked and she hold her hand to me and I took it. "The girl that I took care while her brother was working."

The mother smiled at me, "Yes. Yes, I do. Hello, Scarlett," She said and I smiled. "Hey, Mrs. Robinson," I said. "This is the brother, Dean, is . . . a friend of mine from college. And their brother, Sam," Cassie introduced.

"Well, I won't interrupt you," Mrs. Robinson said and smiled at me before moving to leave. "Mrs. Robinson. We're sorry for your loss. We'd like to talk to you for a minute if you don't mind?" Dean asked softly.

"I'm really not up for that right now," Mrs. Robinson said, slightly affronted and she left the room.

...

The next day, I was a sleep at the motel room that me and my brother were staying at. I was shook gently at my shoulder. "Scar, wake up," Sam said. I sighed, "Five more minutes."

"Come on, Rugrat," He called me by the nickname he gave me when I was little. "Just five minutes," I mumbled and pulled the blanket over my head. I heard him chuckling and a door opened. "Well?" Dean asked.

"Nothing," Sam said. "Alright, Shorty," Dean said, clapping his hands together one time and before I knew it, I was thrown off the bed. I pulled the blanket off my head as I groaned and my brothers laughed.

"Dude! What the hell?!" I asked. Dean put him hands up, "Hey, it's your fault," He said as I glared at him. I got up as his phone rang. He answered it as I walked to the bathroom.

I went into the shower and after that I got dressed. After that I walked back to the room. "Hey, Cassie called, said there was another victim," Dean said.

"Can we get something to eat after that?" I asked. "Yeah, sure," Sam said and the three of us walked out the room.

We got to the crime scene to see emergency vehicles parked everywhere on the empty field and a smashed up car. Cassie was talking to the white man from the office and she didn't look happy to talk with him.

As we walked up to them, we heard half their conversation. "Close the main road. The only road in and out of town? Accidents do happen Cassie, and that's what they are. Accidents," The man said.

We stood behind her. "Did the cops check for additional dinting on Jimmy's car, see if it was pushed?" Dean asked. "Who's this?" The man asked Cassie.

"Dean, Sam and Scarlett Winchester. Family friends. This is Mayor Harold Todd," Cassie introduced. "There's one set of tire tracks. One doesn't point to foul play," The Mayor said.

"Mayor, the police and town officials take their cues from you," She said, "If you're indifferent about -"

"Indifferent!" He cut her off. She glared at him, "Would you close the road if the victims were _white_?"

My eyes grew wide but then they narrowed when I looked at the Mayor. "You suggesting I'm racist Cassie? I'm the last person you should talk to like that," He said.

"And why is that?" She asked sassily. He stared at her for a moment before speaking, "Why don't you ask your mother." He glanced at each of us before walking away.

... ...

After getting something to eat, we were back at our hotel room. Sam and Dean were on their suits. I was sitting at the bed, Dean's tie was around my neck as I was fixing it.

"Done," I said, grinning. He smirked, "Alright. Thanks, Shorty," He said. "I'll say this for her, she's fearless," Sam comment as he put on his suit jacket. "Mm-hmm," Dean muttered as I helped him put the tie on.

"Bet she kicked your ass a coupla times," Sam said, grinning. I giggled and Dean glared at both of us. I looked at Sam and we both smirked.

"What's interesting is you guys never really look at each other at the same time. You look at her when she's not looking, she checks you out when you look away," Sam said and Dean glared at him. "It's just a . . . just an interesting observation in a . . . you know . . . observationally interesting way."

"You think we might have more pressing issues here?" Dean asked as I walked to the table and grabbed my food that I didn't finished.

"Hey, if I'm hitting a nerve," Sam started. "Let's go," Dean said and Sam and I chuckled. Dean grabbed the car keys and turned to me. "We'll be back quick," He said as Sam placed a kiss on the top of my head. "Okay. Tell me how is goes," I said.

"Okay," Dean said and gave a kiss on the top of my head as Sam opened the door. Dean walked out the door with him but before Sam could close the door, Dean walked back inside. "And when we come back, that pie better be here," He said. I smirked, "No promises."


	46. 13-2 The Same Truck

After a little while, Sam and Dean came back. "Hey, how was it?" I asked from my spot on my bed as Dean walked to the table. I smirked, knowing he wanted to see if his pie was still here. "I took only a piece," I said.

"We talked to Ron and his friend. They said that back in the '60s there was a string of deaths. Black men. Story goes, they disappeared in a big, nasty, black truck," Sam explained.

"Who was the guy? Did the police ever catch him?" I asked as Dean came over and took off his jacket. "Nope. Never found him," Dean said. Sam sighed as he took off his jacket. "They said that they not even sure they even really looked. There was a time, the town wasn't too friendly to all it's citzens," Sam said.

I sighed. "So what now?" I asked. "I'm gonna change and head to Cassie's. Talk with her about this," Dean said and I nodded before he walked to the bathroom. "I think you and I are gonna see him tomorrow," I said to Sam and he chuckled.

I walked to the table and took Dean's pie. I smirked and looked at Sam. He raised an eyebrow and I shrugged, "Hey, he isn't going to eat it, he's going to Cassie," I pointed out. He chuckled and shook his head as I walked with the pie to my bed.

Soon Dean came back to the room. "I'm going," He said and looked at me, "Don't touch my pie." I glanced at Sam, who was trying to hid his smirk but failed. I looked at Dean and moved away slightly, shoving the box that the pie was in.

He frowned and walked over to it as I moved to Sam's side. He grabbed the box and looked at me, showing the box completely empty. "Oops?" I said with a shy smile as I gave a small shrug.

"Oops?" He repeated and dropped the box on the bed. "Oops?" He ran to me but I ran away. "Sam, help!" I called but Sam just laughed. Dean caught me and tackled me to my bed, and started to tickle me, "I'll show you 'Oops'," He said and I laughed. "Stop," I begged, laughing. "Sam, help."

Sam came over but he didn't helped me. No! He helped Dean! He started to tickle me too. "No! Stop!" I laughed. "Are you gonna buy me a pie?" Dean asked, more like demanded. "Never," I said between giggling. "Then, we are not going to stop," He said as he started to tickle me again with Sam.

"No!" I laughed. "Okay, okay, you win!" They stopped and I caught a breath as I giggled. "Now, I'm going and when I'll come back, there better be a pie waiting for me on the table," Dean said and walked to the door. "See you tomorrow," I said, smirking and Sam did the same.

Dean gave me a look, "Shut your face," He said and opened the door as I laughed and he walked out.

...

I woke up the next day by Sam, shaking me up gently. "Scar." I sighed, it was like it's his job to wake me up. "Mmmmm," That was all I could say. "It's time to wake up," He said and I sighed tiredly. "I'm up, I'm up," I said and sat up, rubbing my eyes.

I looked around to find Dean but he wasn't here. I frowned and looked at Sam, "He didn't show up last night," He said and I smirked. "I guess he and Cassie work things out," I said. "Finally!"

He chuckled, shaking his head. I walked to the bathroom and took a shower. After that I got dressed and stepped out of the bathroom. "Hey, we need to go," Sam said. "Where?" I asked, frowning. "There was another victim. Mayor Todd was killed a few hours ago," He said.

"What?" I asked, confused. "Yeah, I'm gonna call Dean," Sam said and put on his jacket. "Come on." We walked out of the hotel room.

It was snowing when Sam and I got to the crime scene in the field. Sam and I were talking with a cop after he said to the man that it was okay that I was here because I was his sister so the cop let it go.

Sam was showing his fake ID to the cop as Dean came up. "He's with me," Sam said to the cop. He nodded and left. Sam and I turned to our older brother, "Where were you last night?" Sam asked with a half smile. "You didn't make it back to the hotel."

"Well . . ." Dean said, shrugging. I smirked as we started to walk. "I knew you guys worked things out," I said. "We'll be working things out when we're ninety," Dean joked and Sam and I chuckled. "So what happened?"

"Every bone crushed. Internal organ's turned to pudding. The cops are all stumped, it's like something ran him over," Sam explained.

"Something like a truck?" Dean asked as we stopped. "Yep," I said. "Tracks?" He asked. "Nope," Sam said. "What was the Mayor doing here anyway?" Dean asked, frowning. "He owned the property," Sam replied. "Bought it a few weeks ago."

"But he's white, he doesn't fit the pattern," Dean said. "Killings didn't happen up on the road. That doesn't fit either," I said. He sighed, "Alright, Shorty -"

"I'm not Short," I cut him off, narrowing my eyes. "So stop calling me like that, or Munchkin or Rugrat."

"Hey, stop whining. You not so short anymore, it's true, but it's our nickname for you since you were a baby; Shorty, Munchkin and Rugrat," Dean said and I rolled my eyes.

... ...

We decided, along with Cassie, that I will go with her to the newspaper office and dig out everything that I could find for the case. I was sitting on Cassie's desk, using her computer. Cassie came over to me with mugs of tea. "Here."

I took it, "Thanks," I said and she sat down next to me. "So I'm trying to find some link between those killings back in the '60s and what's going on now. There wasn't a lot about it in the paper," I said.

"Not surprising. Probably minimal policework too. Back then equal justice under the law wasn't too literal around here," She explained and then my phone rang. I pulled it out and saw it was Sam. "Yeah."

" _Okay, the courthouse records show that Mr. and Ms. Mayor bought an abandoned property. The previous owner was the Dorian family for, like, 150 years_ ," Sam explained.

" _Hey, Scar, let me talk with Cassie for a minute_ ," Dean said. I put the phone on speaker, "You on speaker," I said. " _Cassie, didn't you say the Dorian family used to own this paper?_ " He asked.

"Yeah, along with everything else around here. Real pillars of the town," Cassie said. " _Right, right, Scar, can you chuck it out?_ " Dean asked. "Yep," I said, typing on a few links on the computer and I found something. "Huh, that's interesting," I said.

" _What?_ " Sam and Dean asked at the same time. "This Cyrus Dorian. He vanished in April of '63. The case was investigated but never solved. It was right around the time the string of murders was going on back then," I read.

" _Well we pulled a bunch of papers up on the Dorian place, it musta been in bad shape when the Mayor bought_ ," Sam said. "Why's that?" I asked, frowning. " _The first thing he did was bulldoze the place_ ," Sam said.

I looked at Cassie, "Did Mayor Todd knocked down the Dorian place?" I asked. "It was a big deal. One of the oldest houses left. He made the front page," She replied.

"You got a date?" I asked my brothers. " _The 3rd of last month_ ," Dean replied. I clicked again and found another article, "Mayor Todd bulldozed the Dorian family home on the 3rd. The first killing was the very next day," I said and I sheared a look with Cassie.

... ...

It was dark and I was at the hotel with Sam and Dean after we dropped Cassie at her Mom's house. I was outside our room, looking up at the dark sky. It was a while since I started up at the sky when it was dark. It was used to be me thing with Sam, to watch the sky and stars.

"Hey, Scar, you okay?" Sam asked as he came out of the room. "Yeah," I said and looked back up. "You still watching the stars?" He asked, shocked. I looked at him as he sat by my side and I nodded, "I continued to do it even after you left when I was 10," I comment. "But it didn't made me feel better because you weren't there with me to watch."

He gave a small nod and we both looked up at the sky. "I'm sorry," He spoke after a moment. "For what?" I asked. "For leaving," He said. "It's okay, your here now," I said, looking at him. He looked at me and gave a small smile.

Dean walked out of the room, "Hey, where's my god damn pie?" He asked and Sam and I laughed. Dean's phone rang, "I want pie," He mumbled and he answered as I giggled. "Hello?" He frowned, "Cassie?" He asked, concerned and Sam and I shared a look. Did something happened?

We arrived to Cassie's and her mother's house, and Cassie told us that she saw the truck. Dean and I sat with her and Ms. Robinson at the living room and Sam came from the kitchen with cups of tea.

"Maybe you could throw a couple of shots in that," Cassie joked as she took the cup, her hands were shaking. "You didn't see who was driving the truck?" I asked.

"It seemed to be no one. Everything was moving so fast. And then it was just gone," Cassie said. "Why didn't it kill us?"

"Whoever was controlling the truck wants you afraid first," Dean said. Sam looked at Ms. Robinson, "Ms. Robinson," He started softly, "Cassie said that your husband saw the truck before he died."

Ms. Robinson said nothing and just stared off into the distance. "Mom?" Cassie asked and she snapped out of it, looking on her daughter. "Oh. Martin was under a lot of stress. You can't be sure about what he was seeing."

"Well after tonight I think we can be reasonably sure he was seeing a truck," Dean said. "What happened tonight, you and Cassie are marked. Ok? Your daughter could die. So if you know something now would be a really good time to tell us about it."

"Dean . . ." I warned. "Yes. Yes, he said he saw a truck," Ms. Robinson confessed. "Did he know who it belonged to?" Sam asked. "He thought he did," Ms. Robinson said.

"Who was that?" Dean asked. "Cyrus," Ms. Robinson replied, getting upset. My eyes grow wide. "A man named Cyrus." Me and my brothers looked at each other before I grabbed Dean's bag and pulled out the newspaper article that I found about Cyrus and showed it to Ms. Robinson.

"Is this Cyrus?" I asked softly. Ms. Robinson didn't looked at it but she spoke, "Cyrus Dorian died more than 40 years ago." I frowned, "How do you know he died, Ms. Robinson?" I asked softly, "The paper's said he went missing. How do you know he died?"

"We were all very young. I dated Cyrus a while, I was also seeing Martin . . . in secret of course. Inter-racial couples didn't go over too well back then. When I broke it off with Cyrus and when he found out about Martin, I don't know, he, changed. His hatred. His hatred was frightening," Ms. Robinson explained.

"The string of murders," Sam said, looking at me and Dean. "There were rumours. People of colour disappearing into some kind of a truck. Nothing was ever done. Martin and a . . . Martin and I, we were gunna be, uh, married in that little church near here, but last minute we decided to elope as we didn't want the attention," Ms. Robinson explained.

"And Cyrus?" Dean asked. She started to break down, "The day we set for the wedding, was the day someone set fire to the church. There was a children's choir practising in there. They all died."

"Did the attacks stop after that?" Sam asked softly. "No! There was one more. One night that truck came for Martin. Cyrus beat him something terrible. But Martin, you see, Martin got loose. And he started hitting Cyrus and he just kept hitting him and hitting him," She said, sobbing.

"Why didn't you call the cops?" Dean asked and she stared at him, "This was 40 years ago," She remarked. "He called on his friends, Clayton Soames and Jimmy Anderson, and they put Cyrus' body into the truck and they rolled it into the swamp at the end of his land and all three of them kept that secret all of these years."

"And now all three are gone," Sam said. "And so is Mayor Todd," Dean said. "Now he said that you of all people would know he is not a racist. Why would he say that?"

"He was a good man. He was a young deputy back then investigating Cyrus' disappearence. Once he figured out what Martin and the others had done he . . . he did nothing, because he also knew what Cyrus had done," Ms. Robinson said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Cassie asked. "I thought I was protecting them. And now there's no one left to protect," Ms. Robinson cried. "Yes there is," I said and Cassie and Ms. Robinson looked at me. I glanced at Cassie and Ms. Robinson looked at her as well and took her hand.


	47. 13-3 The Church

Sam, Dean and I were outside Cassie's house. Sam and I were leaning against the Impala while Dean paced up and down.

Sam sighed, "Ah, my life was so simple. Just school," He said and Dean stopped and stood beside me, "Exams, papers on polycentric cultural norms."

"So I guess we saved you from a boring existence," Dean joked. "Yeah, you're welcome," I said, smirking and Sam grinned, "Yeah, occasionally I miss boring," He said.

"So this killer truck," Dean started. "I miss conversations that didn't start with 'this killer truck'," I said and chuckled. Sam and Dean joined in.

"Well this Cyrus guy. Evil on a level that infected even his truck. When he died, the swamp became his tomb, and his spirit was dormant for 40 years," Dean said.

"So what woke it up?" Sam asked. "The construction on his house. Or the destruction," I said. "Right. Demolition or remodelling can awaken spirits, make them restless," Sam said and Dean and I nodded.

"Like that theatre in Illinois, ya know?" Sam said. "Yeah, and the guy that tore down the family homestead, Harold Todd, is the same guy that kept Cyrus' murder quiet and unsolved," Dean said.

"So now his spirit is awakened and out for blood," Sam said. "Yeah I guess," Dean said. "Huh, who knows what ghosts are thinking anyway," I said and Dean smirked.

"You know we're going to have to dredge that body up from the swamp right," Sam said to me and I smiled at him. "Man."

"You said it," Dean said, smirking and I giggled. "Yeah," Sam chuckled. I looked at Dean's side and saw Cassie coming over to us and Dean pushed off the car, "Hey."

"Hey. She's asleep. Now what?" She asked. "Well, you should stay put and look after her . . . and we'll be back. Don't leave the house," He ordered. She smiled a little as she crossed her arms across her chest, "Don't go getting all authoritative on me. I hate it."

He glanced over his shoulder at me and Sam. We both grinned and looked away. "Don't leave the house please?" He asked. I looked back at them to see Dean leaning in and kissed her.

I grinned and Sam glanced over at them too. He grinned and cleared his throat but Dean kept kissing Cassie, holding one finger back at us to wait. Sam and I looked at each other, chuckling.

Finally, Dean pulled away from the kiss and looked at us over his shoulder, "You comin' or what?" He asked and walked to the diver door. "Shotgun!" I yelled, moving Sam from the passenger door and climbed inside before he could say anything.

Dean laughed as he climbed inside and Sam climbed to the back, sighing and shaking his head but I caught a small smile slipping from his lips.

... ...

After a little while, Dean was on the wheel of a tractor that we borrowed. "All right. Let's get her up," Sam said and Dean started to pull the truck from the water. The tractor jerked forward, bringing the muddy monster truck further out the swampy water.

"All right. A little more. Little more. All right, stop," Sam said. Dean turned off the engine and jumped down. "Nice," I said. "Hell yeah," Dean agreed and we walked back to the Impala.

"Now I know what she sees in you," Sam said. "What?" Dean asked, frowning. I smirked, "Cassie," I whispered and he shot me a look so I rushed to Sam's other side, jokingly hiding from him.

Sam chuckled and turned to Dean, "Come on man, you can admit it. You're still in love with her," He said. "Can we focus please?" Dean said as he opened the trunk.

"I'm just saying Dean," Sam said and we all took flashlights. He took a red gasoline container, Dean grabbed the salt while I took the matches. "Ok, let's get this done," Dean said and shut the trunk.

We walked to the driver door of the trunk and Dean pulled it open and a decayed body was there. "All right let's get to it," Dean said.

Dean and Sam dragged the body out and poured salt and gasoline. I lit the matches and the corpse burned as we watched.

"Think that'll do it?" Sam asked. Just then, the ghost truck appeared, headlights come on and engine revving. "I guess not," I said.

"So burning the body had no effect on that thing?" Sam asked as he and Dean pushed me behind them slightly. "Sure it did. Now it's really pissed," Dean said.

"But . . . But Cyrus' ghost is gone, right, guys?" I asked. "Apparently not the part that's fused with the truck," Dean said, starting to back away and headed towards the car.

"Where you going?" I asked. "Goin' for a little ride," Dean said. "What!?" Sam and I asked at the same time. "Gonna lead that thing away. That busted piece of crap, you gotta burn it," Dean informed.

"How the hell are we supposed to burn a truck Dean?" Sam asked. "I don't know. Figure something out," Dean replied, tossing a bag to Sam before climbing into the car.

"Figure something -" Sam started but then Dean revved the engine and took off with the trunk going after him. Sam and I ducked out of the view while it went pass. Dean led the trunk away and soon we couldn't see them anymore.

I took out Dad's journal, flipping through the pages to see if I can find something useful. Sam's phone rang and he answered, putting it on speaker, "Hey, you gotta give us a minute."

" _I don't have a minute. What are we doing?_ " Dean asked. "Let me get back to you," Sam said and hung up. "Wait, wait. The map, where's the map?" I asked and he pulled out the map form his jacket.

"Let's see, let's see," I said as we both looked in the map. I pulled out my phone and dialed Cassie's number. " _Hello?_ " She picked up. "Cassie, it's me, Scar," I said. "I need some information and it has to be exactly right."

After talking with Cassie, Sam called Dean back, "All right, Dean?" He asked. " _This better be good_ ," Dean said. "Where are you?" I asked. " _In the middle of no where with a killer truck on my ass! It's like it knows I put the torch to Cyrus_ ," He said.

"Dean, Dean, listen to me, this is important. We have to know exactly where you are," Sam said. " _Decatur road, about two miles off the highway_ ," He said. "Ok. Headed East?" Sam asked.

" _Yes!_ " Dean snapped and I heard some noises in the background. " _You son of a bitch!_ "

"Ok, ahhh, turn right! Up ahead, turn right," Sam said. "You make the turn?"

" _Yeah, I made the turn! You need to move this thing along a little faster_ ," Dean said. "All right, you see a road up ahead?" I asked. " _No! Wait. No, yes, I see it_ ," He said.

"Ok, Turn left," I said. " _Wha . . .?_ " Dean asked before the sound of screeching brakes came. " _All right, now what?_ "

"You need to go seven tenths of a mile and then stop," Sam said. " _Stop?_ " Dean repeated. "Exactly seven tenths, Dean," I said. " _Seven tenths, seven tenths_ ," Dean repeated, the sound of a car breaking came through and then silence.

Sam and I heard a nervous glances. "Dean, You still there?" I asked. " _Yeah_ ," He replied and I sighed in relief. "What's happening?" Sam asked.

" _It's just staring at me, what do I do?_ " Dean asked. "Just what you are doing, bringing it to you," Sam said. " _Wha . . ._ " Dean asked but then it stopped.

Sam and I shared a look again, frowning after a moment. "Dean. You still there? Dean?" Sam asked. " _Where'd it go?_ " Dean asked, confused.

"Dean, you're where the church was," I said. " _What church?_ " Dean asked. "The place Cyrus burned down. Murdered all those kids," Sam explained.

" _There's not a whole lot left_ ," Dean said. "Church ground is hallowed ground, whether the church is still there or not. Evil spirits cross over hallowed ground, sometimes they're destroyed, so we figured, maybe, that would get rid of it," Sam explained.

" _Maybe? Maybe! What if you were wrong?_ " Dean yelled. "Huh," Sam started and we looked at each other. I shrugged, "Honestly that thought hadn't occurred to us," I spoke. With that Dean hung up the phone.

I looked at Sam again, "We are so dead," I said and he gave a small chuckle, shaking his head.

...

The next day, we were at the docks. Sam was in the driver seat and I was the back seat while Dean and Cassie came over, talking. After that, they kissed and then Dean climbed into the passenger seat. Cassie, Sam and I sheared a smile and a wave before Sam took off.

Dean's sunglasses were on the top of my head. I sighed sadly, "I'm gonna miss her," I said as I lean forward. Dean gave a small nod as he stared out the window. I smirked, "Don't cry, Dean," I teased and he gave me a glare. "Shut up," He said and Sam and I laughed.

"I like her," Sam said and I smiled. "I knew you will," I said and he chuckled. "You meet someone like her, doesn't it makes you wonder if it's worth it? Putting everything else on hold, doing what we do?" Sam asked.

Dean looked at him for a long moment, giving a smile and then reached for the sunglasses, "Hey!" I whined. "It's mine, I'll buy you one," He said and slipped the sunglasses on before turning to Sam, "Why don't you wake me up when it's my turn to drive?"

I sat back to my seat, crossing my arms across my chest as Dean slouched down in the seat with a sigh. Sam shook his head and looked back at the road, giving a small chuckle.


	48. 14-1 Nightmare

I was sleeping on the bed with Dean in our hotel room. But then, I woke up by someone shaking me on the shoulder, "Scar. Dean," Sam said. I groaned. Oh come on! "What are you doing man, it's the middle of the night," Dean spoke.

"We have to go," Sam said and I sighed as I sat up, rubbing my eyes. "What's happening?" I asked. "We have to go. Right now," Sam said as he grabbed his bag and walked out.

I shared a look with Dean before I went to the bathroom and got dressed. Soon after, I was at the back seat, trying to stay awake while Dean was driving and Sam was sitting in the passenger seat, talking on the phone and reading from a Michigan State Police ID, "McReady. Detective McReady. Badge number 158. I've got a signal 480 in progress, I need the registered owner of a two door sedan, Michigan licence plate Mary-Frank-six-zero-three-seven. Yeah ok, just hurry."

"Sammy, relax. I'm sure it's just a nightmare," Dean said. "Yeah, tell me about it," Sam said. "Dean's right. Y'know, a normal, everyday, naked-in-class, nightmare. This licence plate, it won't check out. You'll see," I said, more awake now.

"It felt different, guys. Real. Like when I dreamt about our old house. And Jessica," Sam said. "Yeah, that makes sense," Dean said. "You're dreaming about our house, your girlfriend. This guy in your dream, you ever seen him before?"

"No," Sam replied. "No. Exactly. Why would you have premonitions about some random dude in Michigan," Dean said. "I don't know," Sam said. "We don't either," I said, sighing.

"Yes I'm here," Sam spoke into his phone. He glared at me then at Dean before picking up a pen, "Jim Miller. Saginaw, Michigan. You have a street address? Got it. Thanks."

Dean and I exchanged a nervous glances as Sam hung up. "Checks out," He said and sighing before looking at Dean, "How far are we?"

"From Saginaw?" Dean asked and Sam nodded, "Coupla hours." Sam sighed, "Drive faster."

... ...

After a while, the Impala cruised to a stop outside the address that was giving to us. An Emergency vehicles was parked outside and someone on a stretcher was zipped into a body bag. Dean and I turned to Sam, concerned while Sam looked upset.

"Let's go," Sam said and climbed out. I sighed and Dean and I climbed out. We walked to the crowd and stood beside an older lady. "What happened?" Dean asked her. "Suicide," The lady replied. "Can't believe it."

"Did you know them?" Sam asked as I watched as the woman on the porch steps crying into the man's arms while a younger man stood to the side.

"Saw him in every Sunday at St Augustines. He always seems . . . seemed, so normal. I guess you never know what's going on behind closed doors," The older lady said.

"Guess not," I murmured. "How did . . . ahh. How are they saying it happened?" Sam asked, distressed. "I heard they found him in the garage, locked inside his car with the engine running," She replied.

"Do you know about what time they found him?" I asked. "Oh, it just happened about an hour or two ago. His poor family. I can't even imagine what they're going through," She said.

I glanced at Sam, who watched the family as well, grimacing, then he turned to walk away. I followed him and Dean followed behind. The three of us leaned against the Impala's bonnet.

"Sam, we got here as fast we could," Dean said. "Not fast enough," Sam said. "It doesn't make any sense man. Why would I even have these premonitions if there wasn't a chance I could stop them from happening?"

"I dunno," Dean said. Sam shook his head and sighed, "So, what do you think killed him?" He asked. "Maybe the guy just killed himself? Maybe there's nothing supernatural going on at all," I suggested.

"Exactly," Dean agreed. Sam shook his head, "I'm telling you, I watched it happen. He was murdered by something, guys. I watched it trap him in the garage," He said.

"What was it, a spirit, poltergeist, what?" Dean asked. Sam looked at him and then at me before back, he looked a little worked up, "I don't know what it was. I don't know why I'm having these dreams, I don't know what the hell is happening guys."

Dean and I both stared at Sam for a long moment. "What?" He asked. Dean shrugged, "Nothing. We just, we worried about you, man."

"Well, don't look at me like that!" Sam said. "We're not looking at you like anything," I said, looking away and so did Dean but then I glanced back at him and saw his tired expression, "Though I gotta say, you do look like crap."

"Watch your mouth," Dean scolded but I saw a small smirk on his lips while Sam gave a small chuckle, "Nice. Thanks," He said sarcastically and I nodded my head as it was a compliment.

"Come on, lets just pick this up in the morning," Dean said and opened the driver door. "We'll check out the house, talk to the family."

"Dean, you saw them, they're devastated They're not going to want to talk to us," Sam said. Dean lent against the open door and thought for a moment, "Yeah, you're right. But I think I know who they will talk to."

"Who?" I asked, frowning. Dean smirked at me before climbing into the car. I sighed as I shared a look with Sam before climbing into the car as well.

...

"Fathers?" I asked, laughing. Sam and Dean were going to the Miller house, dressed as Priests! And as I knew, Sam didn't like that idea. "How do I look?" Dean asked, smirking. "Like a Priest," I stated, giggling.

Sam sighed as we climbed into the Impala. "So what am I going to do?" I asked, leaning forward. "Sam and I gonna talk with the wife, you going to get to that garage, see if you can find anything," Dean said.

"Okay," I said, sighing. It didn't took us long to go back to the Miller house. So as soon as we parked the car, we climbed out. "Good luck," I said and they nodded. "You too, be careful," Sam said and I nodded before I went to the different direction.

I went around to the back and looked around to look for a window. I found one but it was a little far for me to climb. I placed my hands on the wall and moved a little, trying to find a way to climb.

My fingers touched a few spots, hard. I smirked, "Yes," I whispered. I took a step back, glancing around but there was no one there. Good. I looked back at the wall and up at the window.

"Here goes," I said to myself. I took a deep breath as I took a few steps back. With that, I ran to the wall and flew up to grab the windowsill, using the hard spots on the wall.

I grabbed the windowsill and pushed myself up a little. The window was opened a little. I looked around at garage, there was no one there. I pulled myself up more and opened the window a little more before settling myself on the window. Carefully, I got into the garage.

I looked around again. The car that the man dead was there so I walked towards it. I looked around it, trying to find anything wrong. I frowned, there was nothing.

I decided to go to the house and knocked on the door. After a moment, a blonde woman opened it. It was the same woman that cried last night. It was Ms. Miller. "Hey," I said with a soft smile. "My name is Scarlett, I live with my parents down the street."

She smiled kindly at me. "Hey, it's nice to meet you," She said. "I'm so sorry for you lost," I said and she gave a small nod. "Thank you. Please come in," She said, stepping aside. "Thank you," I said and stepped inside.

People were around the house, offering comfort to the family by bringing food and kind words. Ms. Miller lead me to the living room, where I saw Sam sitting on an armchair and Dean sitting on the couch.

"Just . . . tone it down a little bit, Father," Sam said to Dean and then they both looked at me, confused. "Fathers, this is Scarlett, she live down the street," Ms. Miller introduced. "Oh, we know her," Dean said, giving a smile.

"Will you like something to drink?" She asked me. "Just water, thank you," I said with a smile. She nodded as she placed an hand on my shoulder before walking away. I sat down beside Dean. "Anything?" Sam asked quietly as he leaned forward. I sighed. "No. Nothing at all," I replied quietly.

Ms. Miller came back with a glass of water and handed it to me. "Thank you," I said with a smile. She gave me a smile and sat down with me and Dean. "So, Ms. Miller, did you husband have a history of depression?" Dean asked.

"Nothing like that," She said and started to get upset, "We had our ups and downs like everyone but we were happy." The she started to cry, "I just don't understand . . . how Jim could do something like this."

I placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry you had to find him like that," I said softly. "Actually, our son Max," She corrected, pointing to her side, "He was the one who found him."

I looked through the doors into the dining room and saw the younger man, Max sitting in the corner, staring into space. "Do you mind if maybe, I go talk to him?" Sam asked. "Oh thank you Father," Ms. Miller said.

Sam gave a small nod and a smile before getting up and walking up to Max. I glanced back at them before looking back at Ms. Miller, "Ms. Miller, you have a lovely home. How long have you lived here?" I asked politely as Dean handed her a tissue from the pack on the table.

"We moved in about five years ago," She replied. Dean nodded, "The only problem with these old houses. I bet you have all kind of headaches," He said. I shook my head to him slightly as Ms. Miller looked at him, strangely, "Like what?"

"Well, weird leaks, electrical shortages, odd settling noises at night. That kind of thing," Dean listed. "No, nothing like that. It's been perfect," She replied. "Huh. May I use your restroom?" He asked.

"Oh sure, it's just up the stairs," She replied. Dean gave a nod and raised as he took a cocktail sausage.

I looked back at Sam and Max and saw they talking. Max's eyes locked on mine. He looked upset, lost. "Ms. Miller," I started as I looked back at the woman. "How long were you and Jim were married? If you don't mind I'm asking."

"19 years," She replied. "How old is Max?" I asked, frowning. "Oh, Max is my step-son," She replied. "He's 23 years old." I gave a small nod and a smile before looking back at them.


	49. 14-2 Max

Later that night, Dean was cleaning the weapons while I was sitting on the bed, my back was against the headboard and Sam's laptop on my lap as I was searching through the history of the land.

Sam walked in. "What do you have?" Dean asked him. "A whole lotta nothing. Nothing bad has happened in the Miller house since it was built," Sam replied. "What about the land?" Dean asked me.

"No grave yards, battle fields, tribal lands or any other kind of atrocity on or near the property," I said and sighed as I put the laptop to the side. Sam sunk on my bed, his back faced me and Dean.

"Hey, man, I told you, I searched that house up and down. No cold spots, sulfer scent. Nada," Dean said. Sam looked over his shoulder at me, "And the family said everything was normal?"

"Well, if there was a demon or poltergiest in there you think somebody would have noticed something?" I said and he looked away, sighing. "I used the infer-red thermal scanner, man, and there was nothing," Dean said.

"So what, you think Jim Miller killed himself and my dream was just some sorta freakish coincidence?" Sam asked. Dean shrugged as he stopped cleaning, "I dunno. I'm pretty sure there's nothing supernatural about that house," He said and went back to cleaning the guns.

Sam started to rub his temples and I frowned, "Yeah. Well, maybe it has nothing to do with the house." He took a deep breath, holding his head, his back became tense, "Maybe it's just . . . Gosh." He hold his hand to his forehead and I sat up straight. "Maybe it's connected to Jim in some other way?"

"What's wrong with you?" Dean asked. Sam made anguished noises and sunk from the bed to crouch on the floor, "Ahh. My head."

"Sam?" I called as I jumped out of the bed and crouched in front of my big brother. "Sam? Hey," Dean said as he rushed over to us and crouched down beside me. He grabbed his arm, "Hey! What's going on? Talk to us."

Sam cried out and Dean and I shook him. "Sam?!" I called. "Sammy!" Dean called. Suddenly, Sam's eyes focused on us again and he winced. "It's happening again. Something's gonna kill Roger Miller."

We climbed into the Impala and drove away, racing through the town to get to Roger Miller's house. "Roger Miller. Ah no, no, just the address please," Sam said slowly into his phone, holding his head. "Okay, thanks." He hung up and looked at Dean, "450 West Grove, Apartment 1120."

"You okay?" I asked softly as I leaned into the front and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah," He breathed out. "If you're gonna hurl, I'll pull the car over you know, cause the upholstery . . ." Dean trailed off as I glared at him.

"I'm fine, just drive," Sam said. "All right," Dean mumbled. Sam looked at me then at Dean, sighing heavily before looking straight on, "Guys, I'm scared. These nightmares weren't bad enough, now I'm seeing things when I'm awake? And these, visions, or whatever, they're getting more intense. And painful."

"Come on, man, you'll be all right. It'll be fine," Dean said. "What is it about the Millers. Why am I connected to them, why am I watching them die? Why the hell is this happening to me?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, Sam, but we'll figure it out," Dean said. "Yeah, we've faced the unexplainable every day. This is just another thing," I said.

"No. It's never been us. It's never been in the family like this. Tell the truth, you can't tell me this doesn't freak you out," Sam said to us. Dean stared straight ahead for a long moment before speaking, "This doesn't freak me out."

He glanced back to me and I sighed, "This doesn't freak me out," I said. He stared at me for a moment then turned to Dean before looking out the window. The truth is; I was really freaked out. Why did it happened to Sam? How can Dean and I could help him?

The Impala pulled up outside the apartment building just in time for us to see Roger approaching the entrance with a bag of groceries in his arms.

"Hey, Roger!" Sam yelled, leaning over slightly to Dean's window. Roger turned to us, "What are you guys, missionaries? Leave me alone," He said, turning back and beginning to walk away again.

"No! Please!" I yelled but he carried on moving towards the building. Dean gunned the engine, jumping the curb as he hurriedly parks.

The three of us jumped out the car hurriedly and took off running. "Hey. Roger. We're trying to help!" I yelled. He looked over his shoulder and sped up his walk to get the door.

"Please! Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey," Sam cried just as we got to the door and Roger closed the door behind him, not letting us in. "I don't want your help," He said and then walked away.

"We're not priests, you gotta listen to us!" Sam called after him. "Roger, you're in danger!" Dean yelled but Roger didn't came back.

I sighed in frustration and looked around. "Okay, come on. Come on, come on," I said and we ran around the corner to a back entrance, it was securely locked. Dean quickly looked around then kicked it open.

We jumped to the first level of the fire escape then ran up the stairs. When we were one floor from Roger's house, we stopped when we heard a window slide down and a wet squelching noise.

Dean and I snapped out of it and sprinted past Sam, only to stop again once we were outside Roger's window. The window was dripping with blood and his disembodied head lay in the flower bed under the window.

I looked away as Sam came up. After a long pause Dean pulled out a rag and threw it to Sam, "Start wiping down your fingerprints, we don't want the cops to know we were here. Come on, come on!" He ordered.

He pulled out another for himself and started wiping the railings. I grabbed the rag from Dean's hands and used it to open the window and climbed in, "I'm gonna take a look inside," I explained and threw the rag back to Dean before turning to investigate the apartment.

... ...

"I'm telling you there was nothing in there," I said as we were walking back to the Impala. "No signs either, just like the Miller's house and the garage."

"I saw something, in the vision. Like a dark shape. Something was . . ." Sam started and then there was a horn of a car and Dean stopped both of us. "Something was stalking Roger," Sam finished as we continued to walk.

"Whatever it was, are you sure it's not connected to their house?" Dean asked. "No, it's connected to the family themselves," Sam said and we reached to the car. "So what do you think, like a vengeful spirit?"

"Well, yeah, there's a few that have been known to latch onto families," Dean said and we climbed into the car, "Follow them for years."

"Angiak. Banshees," Sam said. "Basically like a curse," I said, leaning forward. "So maybe Roger and Jim Miller got involved in something heavy, something curse worthy."

"And now the something is out for revenge. And the men in their family are dying," Sam said. "Hey, you think Max is in Danger?"

"Let's figure it out before he is," Dean said and turned on the engines. "Well, I know one thing I have in common with these people," Sam said.

"What's that?" Dean and I asked at the same time. "Both our families are cursed," He said. Dean huffed, "Our family's not cursed," He insisted. "We just . . . had our dark spots."

Sam chuckled. "Our dark spots are . . . pretty dark," He said. "You're . . . dark," Dean muttered and I giggled as we pulled out from the curb and headed back to the motel.

...

We pulled outside the Miller's house the next day. We decided I should talk with Max, "Okay, good luck, Munchkin," Dean said and I rolled my eyes. "Thanks," I said and climbed out the Impala. "Hey," Sam said and I lend to his window, "Be gentle with him, okay?" I nodded. "Don't worry," I promised and walked towards the house.

I knocked on the door and after a moment, Max opened it. "Hey, I'm Scarlett, I live close by," I said with a smile. He nodded. "Yeah, I saw you here yesterday," He stated. "Is your Mom here?" I asked. "She's resting, she's pretty wrecked," He replied and I gave a small nod and a smile. "Do you want to come in?"

I smiled, "Yeah, thanks," I said and stepped inside as he stepped aside. He closed the door. "All these people kept coming with like, casseroles? I finally had to tell them all to go away. You know cause nothing says I'm sorry like a tuna casserole," He joked as we walked to the living room.

I gave a small giggle and he smiled. "Please, sat," He said and I sat on the couch and he sat on the armchair. "How you holding up?" I asked softly. "Okay," He said.

"You're Dad and uncle were close?" I asked. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, they were brothers. They used to hang out all the time when I was little," He replied.

"But not lately?" I asked. "No, it's not that. It's just . . . We used to be neighbours when I was a kid, and we lived across town in this house. Uncle Roger lived next door, so he was over all the time," He explained.

"Right. So how was it in that house when you were a kid?" I asked. "It was fine. Why?" He asked, suddenly becoming a little nervous.

"Were they all good memories? Do you remember anything unusual? Something involving your father and your uncle maybe?" I asked gently. His eyes filled with fear and he shook his head, "What do ya . . . why do you ask?"

"I just asking," I said softly. "No, there was nothing. We were totally normal. Happy," He said but as he said the last part, his eyes were filled with sadness and fear together.

"Good. That's good," I said and looked down for a moment before looking back, "I think I should go, you must be exhausted."

He gave me a small smile and we both stood up. "Thanks, it was nice to met you," I said with a soft smile. "Yeah, you too," He said, giving me a smile again.

He led me to the front door and opened it for me, "Thanks," I said with a smile. I stepped outside and turned around to face him, "Say hey to your mother from me," I said. "I will," He said with a small smile.

I nodded and walked down the porch steps. He closed the door and I went to the Impala where my brothers were waiting. I climbed into the back seat.

"Huh," Dean said and I frowned, "What?" I asked as I leaned forward. "It just looked like, I don't know . . ." He said as he started the turned on the engines, "Like he likes you," Sam said and Dean nodded.

I frowned, "Can we focus?" I asked. "Okay," Dean said, shrugged as we pulled out. "No one's family is totally normal and happy. When I talked to him about his old house, he sounded scared," I said.

"So, Max isn't telling us everything. I say we go find the old neighbourhood, find out what life was really like for the Millers," Dean said.


	50. 14-3 Abuse

Sam managed to find the address to the Miller's old house and we headed there. We were talking with an older man that was doing some gardening.

"Have you lived in the neighbourhood very long?" Sam asked him. "Yeah, almost 20 years now. It's nice and quiet. Why, you looking to buy?" He asked.

"No, no, actually, we were wondering if you might recall a family that used to live right across the street I believe," Sam said. "Yeah, the Millers. They had a little boy called Max," Dean said.

The man's eyes became sympathetic, "Yeah, I remember. The brother had the place next door," He replied and we glanced over our shoulders to see the house before back at the man, "So uh, what's this about, is that poor kid okay?"

I frowned, "What do you mean?" I asked. "Well, in my life I've never seen a child treated like that. I mean I'd hear Mr. Miller yelling and throwing things clear across the street, he was a mean drunk. He used to beat the tar outta Max. Bruises. Broke his arm two times that I know of," The man said.

"This was going on regularly?" Sam asked. "Practically every day. In fact that thug brother of his was just as likely to take a swing at the boy but the worst part was the stepmother. She'd just stand there, checked out, not lifting a finger to protect him. I must have called the police seven or eight times. Never did any good," The man explained.

"Now you said step-mother," Dean said. "Yeah, she's his step mother," I said. "Yeah, I think his real mother died. Some sorta . . . accident. Car accident I think," The man said and looked at Sam, "Are you ok there?"

I looked at Sam and saw he was holding his head, grimacing, "Uh, yeah," Sam said. Dean took Sam's arm and looked at the man, "Thanks for your time."

"Yeah, thank you," Sam muttered before Dean started to lead him to the Impala. I smiled at the man, "Thank you," I said before following them. "God," Sam said quietly.

"Sammy?" I asked. "My head," He said quietly and then his eyes suddenly became unfocused and he collapsed. Dean and I caught him and got him into the back seat. I climbed into the passenger seat and Dean climbed into the driver seat before he pulled out.

"Sam?" I called as I turned to my big brother. He gasped loudly, "Max is doing it. Everything I've been seeing."

"What? You sure about this?" I asked. "Yeah, I saw him," He said, rubbing his temples. "How's he pulling it off?" Dean asked. "I don't know, looked like telekinesis?" He said.

"So he's psychic, a spoon bender?" Dean asked. "I didn't even realize it but this whole time, he was there. He was outside the garage when his Dad died, he was in the apartment when his Uncle died," Sam said. "These visions, this whole time - I wasn't connecting to the Millers, I was connecting to Max! The thing is I don't get why, man. I guess - because we're so alike?"

"What are you talking about. The dude's nothing like you," I said. "Well, we both have psychic abilities, we both . . ." Sam trailed off.

"Both what? Sam, Max is a monster, he's already killed two people, now he's gunning for a third," Dean said. "Well, with what he went through, the beatings, to want revenge on those people? I'm sorry, man, I hate to say it, but it's not that insane," Sam said.

"Yeah, but it doesn't justify murdering your entire family!" Dean said. "Dean . . ." Sam started. "He's no different from anything else we've hunted, all right? We gotta end him," Dean said and we pulled over at the Miller's house.

"What? We're not going to kill Max," I said. "Then what? Hand him over to the cops and say 'Lock him up officer; he kills with the power of his mind.'," Dean said sarcastically.

"No way. Forget it," Sam said. "Guys . . ." Dean started. "Dean, no. He's a person," I said and Dean turned off the engine. "We can talk to him. Hey, promise me you'll follow our lead on this one," Sam said, pointing at me and himself.

Dean looked at him then at me, "All right fine. But I'm not letting him hurt anybody else," He said before he opened the glove compartment and pulled out his pistol. He glanced at me and Sam as he opened his door and climbed out. I sighed and climbed out and Sam followed.

We got to the house and Dean brushed into the house and we saw Ms. Miller and Max in the kitchen. "Fathers? Scarlett?" Ms. Miller asked, confused.

"What are you doing here?" Max asked with tears in his eyes. "Ahh, sorry to interrupt," Dean said. "Max, can we, uh, can we talk to you outside for just one second?" Sam asked with a careful smile.

"About what?" Max asked. "It's . . . it's private. I wouldn't want to bother your mother with it," Sam said and looked at Ms. Miller, "We won't be long at all though, I promise."

Max looked at his stepmother and she looked at him before he looked at us, "Okay," He said softly. "Great," I said with a soft smile.

The four of us headed towards the door. Dean only managed to open it a few inches before it was slammed shut and the wooden window blinds all around the room closed. We looked at Max in shock as he backed away.

"You're not priests!" He said. Dean pulled out his gun and aimed it at Max but he used his powers to pull it out his grip and towards himself. He picked it up and hold it on us. Dean went to take a step forwards but Sam hold him back.

"Max, what's happening?" Ms. Miller asked. "Shut up," Max said. "What are you doing?" She asked. Using his powers, Max fling Ms. Miller backwards. She hit her head on the kitchen bench and fall to the ground unconscious.

"I said shut up!" Max said, holding his head with his free hand. "Max, calm down," Sam said. "Who are you?" Max asked. "We just wanna talk," I said softly. His eyes locked to mine and relaxed slightly but then turned angry again, "Yeah right, that's why you bought this!" He said about Dean's gun.

"That was a mistake, all right? So was lying about who we were. But no more lying, Max, okay? Just please, just hear me out," Sam said. "About what?" Max asked. "I saw you do it. I saw you kill your Dad and your Uncle before it happened," Sam said.

"What?" Max asked. "I'm having visions, Max. About you," Sam said. "You're crazy," Max said. "So what, you weren't gonna launch a knife at your stepmom?" Sam asked and pointed to his left eye, "Right here? Is it that hard to believe Max, look what you can do. Max I was drawn here all right? I think I'm here to help you."

"No one can help me," Max cried. "Let me try. We'll just talk, me and you. We'll get Dean, Alice and Scarlett out of here," Sam said and I looked at him. "What? No," I said. "Uh-huh. No way," Dean said at the same time.

"Nobody leaves this house!" Max ordered as the chandelier above us began to shake. "And nobody has to, all right? They'll just . . . they'll just go upstairs," Sam said.

"Sam, we not leaving you alone with him," Dean said. "Yes, you are. Look, Max. You're in charge here, all right, we all know that. No one's going to do anything that you don't want to do but I'm talking five minutes here man," Sam said.

"Sam," I whispered. Max looked back at his stepmother before back at us, "Five minutes?" The chandelier stopped shaking. "Go."

Dean put his hand on my shoulder, bragging me away to the kitchen. We crouched down beside Ms. Miller and Dean took her by the shoulder and she woke up. She stirred and we helped her up, leading her to the stairs.

"Wait!" Max called and we turned around. He started at me, "You stay here," He said. "What? No way," Dean disagreed. "Max, it's just you and me," Sam said.

"I said that she will stay," Max repeated. I looked at both my big brothers nervously. Sam gave a small nod and I released Ms. Miller and walked up to stand beside Sam. Dean didn't like that idea as he was glaring at Max before heading up the stairs with Ms. Miller, leaving me, Sam and Max alone.


	51. 14-4 The Chosen?

Max led us to the living room and we all sat down. Max was sitting opposite me and Sam and just stared at a letter opener on the small table. It lifted on it's own and began twirling on it's point.

"Why did you want me to stay?" I asked softly. Max didn't looked away from the knife but he smiled slightly, "I feel a little calmer when you around," He admitted.

I frowned. "Look, I can't begin to understand what you went through," Sam spoke. "That's right, you can't," Max said as his smile faded.

"Max, this has to stop," Sam said. "It will, after my stepmother -"

"No, Max," I cut Max off, "You need to let her go."

"Why?" Max asked. "Did she beat you?" Sam asked. "No, but she never tried to save me. She's a part of it, too," Max said. "What they did, to you, what they all did to you growing up, they deserve to be punished -"

"Growing up?" Max cut him off, "Try last week."

My eyes grow wide and he stood up. He lifted his shirt, revealing his side were a mass of bruises. I felt tears in my eyes but I fought them back.

"My dad still hit me. Just in places people wouldn't see it," He said and pulled down the shirt. "Old habits die hard I guess." He sat back down.

"I'm sorry," Sam said softly. Max stared back at the knife, "When I first found out I could move things it was a gift. My whole life I was helpless but now I had this. So last week Dad gets drunk. The first time in a long time. And he beats me to hell, first time in a long time. And then I knew what I had to do."

"Why didn't you just leave?" Sam asked softly. Max spoke as the knife dropped, making both me and Sam to jump slightly, "It wasn't about getting away. Just knowing they would still be out there. It was about . . . not being afraid. When my Dad used to look at me, there was hate in his eyes. Do you know what that feels like?"

"No," Sam whispered, shaking his head. Max looked at me and I shook my head, looking down on the floor. Dad never hit me or Sam and Dean or looked at us with hate. He was always there for us, even when he and Sam were fighting all the time, Dad never do something like that. He loved us.

"He blamed me for everything. For his job, for his life, for my Mom's death," Max said. "Why would he blame you for your Mom's death?" Sam asked.

Max lent forward, "Because she died in my nursery, while I was asleep in my crib. As if that makes it my fault." Both me and Sam looked at him with wide eyes.

"She died in your nursery?" Sam and I asked at the same time. "There was a fire," Max explained. "And he'd get drunk and babble on like she died in some insane way. He said that she burned up. Pinned to the ceiling!"

"Listen to me, Max. What your Dad said, about what happened to your Mom. It's real," Sam said. "What?" Max asked, confused.

"It happened to my Mom too, exactly the same. My nursery, my crib, my Dad saw her on the ceiling," Sam said. "Your Dad must have been as drunk as mine," Max comment.

"No, no. It's the same thing, Max. The same thing killed our mothers," Sam said. "That's impossible," Max said. "This must be why I'm having visions during the day. Why they're getting more intense. Cause you and I must be connected in some way. Your abilities, they started 6-7 months ago right, out of the blue?" Sam said.

"How'd you know that?" Max asked. "Cause that's when my abilities started, Max. Yours seem to me much further along but still, this has to mean something right? I mean for some reason, you and I . . . you and I were chosen," Sam said.

"For what?" Max asked. "I don't know. But Dean, Scar and I, my siblings and I, we're hunting for your Mom's killer. We can find answers, answers that can help us both. But you gotta let us go, Max. You gotta let your stepmother go," Sam said.

Max stared at me and Sam for a long moment before shaking his head, "No. What they did to me. I still have nightmares. I'm so scared all the time, like I'm just waiting for that next beating," He said and stood us and started to walk away, "I'm so sick of being scared all the time, I just want this to be over!"

Sam and I stood in his way, "It won't. Don't you get it? The nightmares won't end, Max. Not like this. It's just, more pain. And it makes you as bad as them. Max, you don't have to go through all this by yourself," I said softly.

He stared at me for a moment. "I'm sorry," He said. Suddenly, I flew back and my back hit the wall, hard and everything went black.

My eyes snapped open and I groaned as a pain spread to my back. I saw Sam stepping out a the hall closest and a tall, heavy, hallway bookshelf was slightly aside.

He looked at me and rushed over to get me up. "You okay?" He asked, chucking me over to see if I was hurt. I nodded, "Yeah, I'm okay," I said and he sighed in relief. "Okay, let's go," He said and ran to the stairs. I ran after him and we brushed into the upstairs bedroom.

Dean's gun was aimed at Dean by itself, "No don't!" Sam said. "Don't! Please. Please. Max." I took one step forward, "Max. We can help you. All right. But this, what you're doing. It's not the solution. It's not gonna fix anything," I said softly.

He started at me then at Sam, who gave a small nod, then back at me for a long moment. He was shaking, sweaty and with tears. Suddenly, he relaxed a little, his face cleared, "You're right."

Sam and I smiled at him, but then Max turned away from us, as the gun swing to point at him. He shoot himself in the head. "NO!" Sam yelled as I covered my mouth with my hand as I gave a small scream.

... ...

It was night when the police and the ambulance came. A cop questioned Ms. Miller as she was sitting on the couch in the living room and me and my brothers stood behind the couch. "Max attacked me. He threatened me with a gun," She said.

"And these three?" The cop asked, pointing at me and my brothers. "They're . . ." Ms. Miller started as she looked at us before back at the cop, "Family friends. I called them soon as Max arrived, I was scared. They tried to stop him. They fought for the gun."

"Where did Max get the gun?" The cop asked. I glanced between my brothers. Ms. Miller began to cry and looked at the ceiling, "I don't know. He showed up with it and . . ." She broke down.

"It's all right Ms. Miller," The cop said. "I've lost everyone," Ms. Miller sobbed. The cop looked at us, "We'll give you a call if we have any further questions." Dean nodded, "Thanks officer." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pat Sam's arm, "Come on." We walked out of the house.

"If I'd said something else . . ." I mumbled but Dean shook his head, "Don't do that." Sam shook his head, "Maybe we could've gotten through to him somehow," He said.

"Stop. Don't you guys torture yourselves. It wouldn't have mattered what you said, Max was too far gone," Dean said. "You risked your lives. I mean, yeah, maybe if we had gotten there 20 years earlier."

We got to the Impala. "Well, I'll tell you one thing. We're lucky we had Dad," Sam said. Dean and I looked at him, shocked but also pleased. Dean chuckled, "Well I never thought I'd hear you say that," He said.

"Well, it coulda gone a whole other way after Mom," Sam said. "I little more tequila and a little less demon hunting and we woulda had Max's childhood. All things considered, we turned out okay. Thanks to him." I looked back to Max's house and then glanced at Sam and Dean, "All things considered," I agreed and smiled, which they both smiled too.

We went back at our hotel room. Sam and I placed our bags in the trunk of the Impala, which was backed up to the door, and then we walked back inside the room. "Guys, I've been thinking," Sam said as I walked into the bathroom.

"Well, that's never a good thing," I called, jokingly and heard Dean giving a chuckle. "I'm serious," Sam said and I closed the bathroom door. I looked at the mirror, staring at my reflection just for a moment.

There was a knock on the door, "Scar, is there a white shirt there?" Sam asked. "Yeah," I said, glancing at a white shirt beside me. I opened the door and stepped out, handing it to him. "Thanks," He said.

Dean hold out a spoon and I frowned, "Bend this," He said to Sam. Sam glanced over and got frustrated, "I can't just turn it on and off, Dean." He frowned, "Well, how'd you do it?"

"I don't know, I can't control it. I just . . . I saw you die and then Scar burning and it just came out of me, like a, like a punch. You know like . . . a freak adrenaline thing," Sam said and I frowned. Burning?

"Yeah, well I'm sure it won't happen again," Dean said. "Yeah, maybe," Sam said. "Aren't you worried, man? Aren't you worried I could turn into Max or something?"

"Nope. No way. You know why?" Dean asked. "No. Why?" Sam asked. "Cause you got one advantage Max didn't have," Dean said. "Dad? Because Dad's not here, Dean," Sam said.

"No. Us," I said as Dean put on his jacket and smirked. "That's right, as long as Scar and I'm around, nothing bad is gonna happen to you," He said. Sam had his puppy dog look and a tiny smile. Dean slipped his bag over his shoulder and moved towards Sam and I, "Now then."

He wrapped an arm around my shoulder as I stood beside him, "I know what we need to do about your premonitions. I know where we have to go."

"Where?" Sam asked. "Vegas," He replied, deadpan and then we both grinned at Sam. Sam tilted his head, the looked away, and then back, a small smile on his face as he gave us his bitchface and walked out door to the car.

"What? Come on, man. Craps tables. We'd clean up!" Dean said as I followed Sam out and giggled before climbing into the back seat.


	52. 15-1 The Benders

I was sitting on the trunk of the Impala, waiting outside for Sam and Dean to come back from the apartment of the family who saw the victim's disappearance.

I sighed as I looked around. I glanced at two cute boys, maybe two or three years older then me, walking closer by. One of them stopped and patted the other one on the shoulder, looking at me.

I looked back to the apartment, smirking. I glanced back and saw that the second guy coming up to me, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey," He said.

"Hey," I said, raising an eyebrow and smiling slightly. "You new here?" He asked. "Now, how did you knew?" I asked, smirking. He grinned, "I think I would have seen you here before," He said.

"And that as?" I asked. "Well, a pretty girl like you? It's hard to miss," He said. I gave a small giggle, taking a piece of hair and pulled it behind my ear. "So -"

"So, kid, mind beat it?"

We both looked over my shoulder to see Dean and Sam walking up to us. They both were dressed as sheriffs. They stood in front of us, arms crossed and glaring at the guy.

"Right, okay, um," The guy started, clearing his throat and looked back at me. "So, I hope to see you again." I smiled slightly, "Yeah, bye," I said. "See ya," He said before walking away, back to his friend.

I looked at my brothers and saw that they still didn't took their eyes off from the guy. If a look could kill, the guy would have been dead already. I glared at them and cleared my throat, which they both finally looked at me.

"Seriously?" I asked. "What?" They both asked at the same time. I glared at them again, "Why? Why did you do that?" I asked. "Well, Shorty, looks like that it's hard to let you stay on your own, even for five minutes," Dean comment. "You beginning to be noticed."

I rolled my eyes, "What did you found out?" I asked. Sam sighed, "The kid saw something grabbing Jenkins. It pulled him underneath the car. It took him away. He heard it leaving. It made a whining growl," He listed and I raised an eyebrow, "What? Really?" They nodded and I sighed.

... ...

It was getting dark when we decided to go to a bar after Sam and Dean changed. Sam and I were sitting at a table with a beer and glass of water, Sam on Dad's journal, doing research while Dean stood nearby, throwing darts.

"So, local police have now ruled out foul play. Apparently, there are worse signs of a struggle," Sam said. "Well, they could be right, it could just be a kidnapping," Dean said. "Maybe this isn't our kind of gig," I added.

"Exactly. I like how we think so much alike, Little Sis," Dean said and I smirked, shaking my head. "Yeah, maybe not. Except for this - Dad marked the area, guys," Sam said. Dean came to the table and we both looked at Dad's journal. "Possible hunting grounds of a phantom attacker."

"Why would he even do that?" I asked, frowning. "Well, he found a lot of local folklore about a dark figure that comes out at night. Grabs people, then vanishes. He found this too - this county has more missing persons per capita than anywhere else in the state," Sam explained.

"That is weird," Dean said. "Yeah," Sam and I agreed at the same time. "Don't phantom attackers usually snatch people from their beds? Jenkins was taken from a parking lot," Dean said.

"Well, there are all kinds. You know, Spring Heeled Jacks, phantom gassers. They take people anywhere, anytime," Sam said as Dean went back to throwing darts. "Look, guys, I don't know if this is our kind of gig either," Sam said.

"Yeah, you're right, we should ask around more tomorrow," Dean said. "Right," Sam said and pulled out his wallet. "I saw a motel about five miles back."

"Whoa, whoa, easy. Let's have another round," Dean said, turning to his side to look at us. "We should get an early start," I said, smirking as Sam and I stood up.

"Yeah, you two really know how to have fun, don't you, Grandmas?" Dean asked sarcastically. I gave him my puppy dog eyes and Sam chuckled.

Dean sighed, "Alright, I'll meet you both outside, I gotta take a leak," He said before he grabbed his coat and headed to the bathroom. I helped Sam gathered up all the research before we walked out together.

The light from the bar was fading the farther we walked to the Impala. Just as we came closer to the car, a loud noise came. Both Sam and I froze and glanced at each other before he placed the journal on the hood of the car and pulled out a flashlight from his pocket. He turned it on and hold his arm in front of me, pulling me slightly back.

He then bend down slowly to look under the car. I hold my breath when a loud hiss sounded and a cat came running out. Sam jumped back in shock and I couldn't help but to laughed.

"Oh my god. Did you see you face?" I said, laughing. Sam stood up as he gave me his bitchface. "Yeah, yeah, very funny," He said. I leaned against the back seat door, "Awe, it's okay, big bro. I won't tell Dean," I said, smirking.

He rolled his eyes but gave a small laugh. Suddenly, something grabbed onto both my ankles and yanked them, making me to fall forwards. Sam fall beside me and before I knew it, everything went black.

 **Third Person POV**  
Dean walked out of the bar and made his way to the Impala. He saw that neither of his siblings were in sight. He frowned and noticed that John's journal was laying on the hood.

He couldn't see them in the car but he opened the back seat door to see inside but Scarlett wasn't there and so did Sam. Dean looked around, confused.

A group of people come out of the bar and Dean walked up to a biker and his girlfriend, who were clearly drunk. "Hey, you guys been outside, around here in the last hour or so?" He asked and they shook their head and walked away.

"Sam! Scar!" Dean yelled into the night, looking around frantically. "Sammy! Scar!" He ran ahead, looking around when his eyes caught a surveillance camera on top of a streetlight. He walked into the middle of the deserted road and looked around. "Guys."

...

It was morning when Dean came to the police department. A deputy, Kathleen, was looking at Dean's fake ID. "So, what can we do for you, Officer Washington?" She asked and handed the badge back to him.

"I'm working a missing persons," Dean replied as he put the badge back to his pocket. "I didn't know the Jenkins case was being covered by the state police," Kathleen said.

"Oh, no. No, there's someone else. Actually, two people. My cousins. We were havin' a few last night at this bar down by the highway. And I haven't seen them since," Dean explained.

"Does your cousins have a drinking problem?" Kathleen asked. "Sam? Two beers and he's doin' karaoke and Scarlett, she's underage, she doesn't drink," Dean said, "No, they were taken."

Kathleen nodded and sat down at her computer. "Alright. What's your cousins's names?" She asked as Dean followed her and sat also. "Winchester. Sam and Scarlett Winchester," He replied.

"Like the rifle?" Kathleen asked. "Like the rifle," Dean agreed as she typed first Sam's name in the computer and bring up his police record. She observed the page, then she typed Scarlett's name and observed her page, then clicked on Dean's link and brings up his record.

"Samuel and Scarlett Winchester. So, you know that their older brother, Dean Winchester, died in St. Louis. And, uh, was suspected of murder," Kathleen said and Dean tried to look nonchalant. "Yeah, Dean. Kind of the black sheep of the family. Handsome, though," He said.

"Uh-huh," Kathleen said, rising an eyebrow before she typed something else and bring up more search results on the computer. "Well, they not showing up in any current field reports."

"Oh, I already have a lead. I saw a surveillance camera by the highway," Dean said. "Uh-huh. The county traffic cam?" Kathleen asked.

"Right. Yeah. I'm thinking the camera picked up whatever took him. Or, whoever," Dean said. "Well, I have access to the traffic cam footage down at the county works department, but - well, anyhow, let's do this the right way," Kathleen said as she got up took some paperwork from a filing cabinet, "Why don't you fill out a missing persons report and sit tight over here?" She handed him a clipboard as he got up.

"Officer, look, uh, they family. I kind of - I kind of look out for those kids. You gotta let me go with you," Dean said. "I'm sorry, I can't do that," Kathleen said.

"Well, tell me something. Your county has its fair share of missing persons. Any of 'em come back?" Dean asked and Kathleen looked down sad. "Sam and Scar are my responsibility. They're comin' back. I'm bringin' them back," He declared and she stared at him.

... ...

Kathleen agreed that Dean will help her, Dean was sitting outside on a bench, waiting for Kathleen to come back with the footage from the camera.

Kathleen came behind him, holding printouts of the camera footage, "Greg." Dean glanced at her and stood up. "I think we've got something," She said and handed him the printouts and he looked through them.

"These traffic cams take an image every three seconds, as part of the Amber Alert program. These images were all taken around the time that your cousins disappeared," Kathleen explaiend as Dean flipping through the first few but he didn't see anthing important.

"This really isn't what I'm looking for," Dean said. "Just wait, wait - next one," Kathleen said. He turned the page and saw an image of a rusty truck driving, "This one was taken right after Sam and Scarlett left the bar. Look at the back end of that thing. Now, look at the plates."

Dean turned another page and saw a close-up image of the truck's license plates. "Oh, the plates look new. It's probably stolen," He said. "So, whoever's driving that rust bucket must be involved," Kathleen said.

Suddenly, a beat up van drive by, it's engine was whining loudly and Dean frowned, remembering something, "Hear that engine?" He asked Kathleen.

"Yeah," She replied. "Kind of a whining growl, isn't it?" Dean stated. "Sure," She agreed. Dean stared at the van as it drive away. "I'll be damned," He said to himself.


	53. 15-2 Taken

**Scarlett POV**  
" _Scar? Scar, wake up_."

I jerked awake, looking around. I was inside a cage. "Scar?" I looked to my left and saw Sam, inside a cage too. "Sam? What's going on?" I asked. "I'm not sure," He replied. "You okay? Are you hurt?"

"I don't know," I replied. I rattled the bars of the cage and noticed a man asleep in a cage in front of us. Sam tried to kick down the door of his cage, but it didn't work. The man groaned and woke up.

"Hey, you're alive," I stated and he groaned again. "Hey, you okay?" Sam asked. "Does it look like I'm doin' okay?" The man snapped. I narrowed my eyes at him, "No need to be rude. Where are we?"

"I don't know. The country, I think. Smells like the country," He replied. "You're Alvin Jenkins, aren't you?" Sam asked. "Yeah," He replied. "We were lookin' for ya," Sam said.

"Oh, yeah?" Jenkins asked. "Yeah," I snapped. "Well, no offense, but this is a piss-poor rescue," Jenkins said. "Well, our brother's out there right now, too," Sam said. "He's lookin' for us. So -"

"So, he's not gonna find us," Jenkins cut him off. "We're in the middle of nowhere." He nodded towards the door leading into the building, "Waiting for them to come back and do God knows what to us."

"What are they? Have you seen them?" I asked. "What are you talking about?" Jenkins asked, looking at us like we crazy. "Whatever's got us, what'd they look like?" Sam asked.

"See for yourself," Jenkins said and then the door to the building opened and two men wearing black coats and hats walked in. One man walked over to Jenkins's cage and kicked the side of it. Jenkins moved back into the corner. The other man got to a panel of buttons attached to a pole in the middle of the room. He inserted a key into the panel and twisted it. Jenkins's cage unlocks and the men entered.

"Leave me alone! Don't you take me, leave me alone!" Jenkins yelled. The men placed a plate of food in front of Jenkins and then walked out the cage and walked over to the panel. One of the men twisted the key again and removed it, which locked the cage.

They left, and Jenkins devoured his food. "I'll be damned. They're just people," I whispered. "Yeah. What'd you expect?" Jenkins asked.

"How often do they feed you?" Sam asked. "Once a day. And they use that thing over there to open the cage," Jenkins replied, pointing to the panel. Sam and I stared at it for a moment then glanced at each other before Sam looked back at Jenkins, "And that's the only time you see 'em?"

"So far. But I'm waitin'," Jenkins said and Sam and I looked at him confused. "Waitin' for what?" I asked as Sam moved stood and began to move across his cage. "Ned Beatty time, man," Jenkins said. I scoffed, "I think that's the least of your worries right now."

"Oh, yeah?" He asked. "Yeah," I said. "What do you think they want, then?" Jenkins asked as Sam reached through the top of his cage and grabbed a long metal wire stretching from the top of the pole to the ground. He tried to pull it down, "Depends on who they are."

"They're a bunch of psycho hillbilly rednecks, if you ask me. Lookin' for love in all the wrong places," Jenkins said. Sam continued to pull on the wire. It gradually started to detach from the pole.

... ...

 **Third Person POV**  
It was night as Dean and Kathleen drive in the Sheriff's car. After they lined the noise and the car together, they both decided to follow up on every traffic to see where the kidnappers were heading.

Kathleen pointed to a passing traffic camera, "Okay, the next traffic cam is fifty miles from here, and the pickup didn't pass that one, so -"

"So, it must've pulled off somewhere," Dean cut her off. "I didn't see any other roads here."

"Well, a lot of these backwoods properties have their own private roads," Kathleen explained. "Great," Dean comment, annoyed as he stared out the window. New information comes up on Kathleen's computer. She clicked the highlighted item and bring up a page about Dean's fake ID. She read it and looked at him before back at the road.

"So, Gregory," She started and Dean turned to look at her, "Yeah?" He asked and looked back out the window. "I ran your badge number. It's routine when we're working a case with state police. For accounting purposes and what have you," Kathleen said as Dean looked back at her, "Mmhmm."

"And, uh, they just got back to me," Kathleen said as she pulled the car over to the side of the road. "It says here your badge was stolen." Dean looked surprised. "And there's a picture of you." She turned the computer to him and there was a picture of a heavy African-American man.

Dean glanced at her then back at the computer and then back, "I lost some weight," He said and gave a small chuckle, "And I got that Michael Jackson skin disease." Kathleen shook her head slightly and took off her seatbelt, "Okay, would you step out of the car, please?"

"Look, look, look," Dean started, stopping her. "If you wanna arrest me, that's fine. I'll cooperate, I swear. But, first, please - let me find Sam and Scarlett."

"I don't even know who you are. Or if these Sam and Scarlett people are even missing," Kathleen said. "Look into my eyes and tell me if I'm lying about this," Dean said. "Identity theft? You're impersonating an officer," Kathleen stated.

"Look, here's the thing. When we were young, I pretty much pulled Sam from a fire. I was there the day Scar was born and took her in my arms that moment. I've felt responsible for both of them. Like it's my job to keep them safe. I'm just afraid if we don't find them fast - please," Dean said and his voice broke, "They're my family."

"I'm sorry. You've given me no choice. I have to take you in," Kathleen said. She glanced at her visor. Her eyes locked on a photo of her and another man, smiling. She looked sad and sighed as he looked back at Dean, "After we find Sam and Scarlett Winchester." She put on her seatbelt while Dean looked at her confused.

 **Scarlett POV**  
Sam was still trying to pull the metal coil from the beam. "What's your names, again?" Jenkins asked. "Scarlett," I muttered. "It's Sam," Sam said. "Why don't you give it up, Sammy, there's no way out," Jenkins said. I narrowed my eyes at him. Only me and Dean get to call him that.

"Don't . . . Call me . . . Sammy!" Sam groaned and finally tore the coil down. A small piece of metal falls on the floor also. "What is it?" Jenkins asked. Sam picked it up and looked at it. "It's a bracket," Sam said.

"Well, thank God, a bracket. Now we've got 'em, huh?" Jenkins said sarcastically. Suddenly, his cage unlocked itself and opened. "Must've been short." He climbed out of the cage. "Maybe you knocked somethin' loose."

I frowned. This wasn't right, it was too easy. "I think you should get back in there, Jenkins," I said. "What?" Jenkins asked. "This isn't right," Sam said. "Don't you wanna get out of here?" Jenkins asked.

"Yeah. But that was too easy," I said. "Look, I'm gonna get out of here, and I'm gonna send help, okay, don't worry," Jenkins said. "No, I'm serious. Jenkins - this might be a trap," Sam said.

"Bye, Sammy, Scar," Jenkins said and pushed the door open and left. "Jenkins!" Sam and I called at the same time. Jenkins's cage slammed shut and I glanced at Sam, scared. Then, after a moment, Jenkins's screams echoed.

...

 **Third Person POV**  
Kathleen and Dean were walking back to the car, coffee in their hands. "Hey, Officer?" Dean started. "Look, I don't mean to press my luck."

"Your luck is so pressed," Kathleen said. "Right," Dean agreed and they stood beside the car. "I was wondering - why are you helping me out, anyway? Why don't you just lock me up?"

"My brother, Riley, disappeared three years ago. A lot like Sam and Scarlett. We searched for him, but - nothing. I know what it's like to feel responsible for someone, and for them -" Kathleen said, her voice slightly broke and she looked away from him, "Come on. Let's keep at it." She climbed into the driver seat and Dean climbed to the passenger seat.

They drove to the edge of the forest. "Wait, wait, wait - pull over here. Pull over," Dean said and they pulled over and climbed out of the car, then walked towards the forest. "It's the first turn-off I've seen so far."

"You stay here, I'll check it out," Kathleen ordered. "No way," Dean said. "Hey," Kathleen said and they stopped. "You're a civilian. And a felon, I think. I'm not taking you with me."

Dean glanced at the forest and then back at Kathleen, shaking his head. "You're not goin' without me," He said. Kathleen sighed, looking around before locking eyes with Dean's, "Alright. You promise you won't get involved? You'll let me handle it?"

"Yeah, I promise," Dean lied. "Shake on it," Kathleen said, holding her hand out. Dean smiled slightly and shook her hand. While they were shaking hands, Kathleen placed a set of handcuffs on Dean's wrist. "Oh, come on," Dean said.

Kathleen handcuffed Dean to the car's door handle and started walking away. "This is ridiculous. Kathleen, I really think you're gonna need my help," Dean said.

"I'll manage. Thank you," Kathleen said as she locked the door and walked away. "I gotta start carrying paper clips," Dean muttered to himself.


	54. 15-3 Hunt

**Scarlett POV**  
Sam and I were sitting in our cages in silence when the two men brought a young lady in and threw her into the cage where Jenkins once was. The lady started groaning, sitting up and rubbing her head.

"You alright?" I asked softly. She looked between me and Sam. "Are you Sam and Scarlett Winchester?" She asked and my eyes grow wide. How did she knew our names?

"Yeah," Sam replied. "Your, uh, your cousin's looking for you two," Sam replied. I smiled. "Thank God. Where is he?" Sam asked, sighing in relief.

"I, uh - I cuffed him to my car," She replied. I sighed deeply and rubbed my eyes. The door opened and someone walked in but none of us could see who it was. The person stepped over to our view.

"Sam? Scar?" It was Dean! We both smiled at him. He ran over and stood between our cages, "Are you two hurt?" I shook my head as Sam replied, "No." Dean's fingers were on our cages and he hit them with a smile, "Damn, it's good to see you."

"How did you get out of the cuffs?" The lady asked and Dean turned around to see her. "Oh, I know a trick or two," He said, smirking and then turned back to us. "Alright," He said and moved to the door of Sam's cage and looked at the locks.

"Oh," He said and moved to my cage and saw the same locks, "These locks look like they're gonna be a bitch." I pointed to the control panel, "There's some kind of automatic control right there."

"Have you seen 'em?" Dean asked. "Yeah. Dude, they're just people," Sam comment. "And they jumped you?" Dean asked and glanced at me. "Seriously? On both of you?" He shook his head and teased, "Must be gettin' a little rusty there, kids." He walked over to the control panel and started to try different buttons. "What do they want?"

"We don't know. They let Jenkins go, but that was some sort of trap. It doesn't make any sense to me," Sam said. "Well, that's the point. You know," Dean said and glanced at the lady before back at us, "With our usual playmates, there's rules, there's patterns. But with people, they're just crazy."

He walked to the lady's cage, "See anything else out there?" I asked. "Uh, he has about a dozen junked cars hidden out back. Plates from all over, so I'm thinkin' when they take someone, they take their car, too," He replied.

"Did you see a black Mustang out there? About ten years old?" The lady asked. "Yeah, actually, I did," Dean replied, frowning. She looked sad and I frowned. "Your brother's?" Dean asked and she nodded. "I'm sorry. Let's get you guys out of here, then we'll take care of those bastards." He pointed to the control panel, "This thing takes a key. Key?"

"We don't know," Sam said as I shook my head. "Alright, I better go find it," Dean said and walked to the door. "Hey," I called and he stopped and turned around, "Be careful." He smirked, "As always, Munchkin." With that he left.

Not long after Dean left to find the key, one of the men came. He walked over to the control panel. He inserted the key and twisted it. "What are you doing?" Sam asked. The door to his cage unlocked and the man walked towards him. "Sam!" I yelled. The man opened the cage door and aimed his rifle on Sam.

"Hey!" The lady yelled. Sam throw the bracket on the man as he shoot and he missed. I saw Sam and the man both out of the cage. Sam was on top of the man. He grabbed the rifle and hit him in the face with it three times. The man collapsed on the floor and Sam tried to fire the rifle, but it didn't work.

"Damn," He said as he dropped the rifle. He used the key and my cage opened and so did the lady's. We stepped out, "Come on," Sam said as I helped him take the man to his cage and locked him there.

"Scar, go find Dean," Sam said as I handed him the keys. I nodded and went to the door. I rushed outside and ran to the back when I saw the other man and an older man running outside the house.

I waited until I saw they getting into the barn. I ran to the house and got inside just in time to see Dean getting tackled to the ground by a 12 years old girl?!

I raised an eyebrow and he pushed her off. I grabbed her as Dean got up. We both hold her, "Let me go! Let me go!" She screamed.

"Come on," Dean said and we took her to a closet. We throw her in and closed the door behind her. I locked it and she pounded against the wood.

"Damn," Dean muttered. "So, you got beat by a little girl?" I teased. "Shut your face, I wasn't beat by a girl," He said and I giggled.

"Okay, you just keep telling yourself that," I said, smirking. "Looks like she know how to fight. A little." He gave a small nod as the front door brushed open. Sam ran inside. "Hey, you guys okay?" He asked.

"Yeah," Dean said. "You just missed some fight," I said, smirking and Dean glared at me but I saw a small smirk on his lips. "Where's the cop?" I asked Sam. "She's at the barn with the Dad," He replied.

Then, we heard a gun shoot. We all looked at each other and then ran outside. We saw the lady, walking out the barn. "Where's the girl?" She asked.

"Locked her in a closet," Dean replied. "What about the Dad?" She took a deep breath, "Shot. Trying to escape," She replied and we exchanged glances.

We all walked back to the house and grab our things. "I think the car's at the police station," Dean said as he, Sam and I walked away from the house as the lady, Kathleen, followed behind us.

We stopped and turned to her, "So, state police and the FBI are gonna be here within the hour. They're gonna wanna talk to you," She said. "I suggest that you're both long gone by then."

I smiled. "Thanks," Dean said. "Hey, listen, I don't mean to press our luck, but we're kind of in the middle of nowhere. Think we could catch a ride?"

"Start walking. Duck if you see a squad car," She said and I giggled. "Sounds great to me. Thanks," Sam said with a smile. "Listen, uh . . . I'm sorry about your brother," Dean said softly.

"Thank you," She said, her voice broke slightly. She looked away as she teared up and looked at us, "It was really hard not knowing what happened to him. I thought it would be easier once I knew the truth - but it isn't really."

I stared at her sadly before pulling her into a hug. She hugged me back and after a moment we pulled away, tears in her eyes. "Anyway, you should go," She said. Me and my brothers nodded and began to walk away.

"Never do that again," Dean spoke. "Do what?" I asked. "Go missin' like that," He said. Sam laughed, "You were worried about us."

"All I'm sayin' is, you vanish like that again, I'm not lookin' for ya," Dean said but Sam and I knew he was joking. "Sure, you won't," I said, smirking. "I'm not," Dean said and Sam and I chuckled.

"So, you got sidelined by a 12 year old girl, huh?" Sam asked. "You told him?" Dean asked me. I smiled and shrugged while Sam laughed. "Oh, shut up," Dean said.

"Just sayin', gettin' rusty there, kiddo," Sam mocked. "Shut up," Dean said, chuckling and Sam and I laughed.


	55. 16-1 Shadow

We pulled the Impala across the street of the apartment that the girl had been slaughtered in. Like literally torn apart. The case was a week old. We climbed out the car. Sam and Dean were dressed as employees of the alarm system company. Dean went to the trunk and pulled out a toolbox.

"All right, guys. This is the place," Sam said as we walked to the apartment. "You know, I've gotta say Dad, Scar and me did just fine without these stupid costumes. Scar is lucky she's not wearing it. I feel like a high school drama dork," Dean said and I smirked.

Then he smiled, "What was that play that you did? What was it - Our Town. Yeah, you were good, it was cute," He said to Sam. "Look, you wanna pull this off or not?" Sam asked. "I'm just sayin', these outfits cost hard-earned money, okay?" Dean comment.

"Whose?" Sam asked. "Ours. You think credit card fraud is easy?" I asked, smiling and Dean smirked while Sam gave a small laugh. We got to the close to the apartment, "Okay, Scar, go through the window," Dean said.

I nodded and walked to the side of the building as Sam and Dean walked to the door. I looked at the windows and started to count until I got to the right one. I grabbed a hold of the ladder and slightly pulled it down. I started climbing on and walked the stairs to the window.

I glanced through the window and saw Sam and Dean talking with a lady. Sam came over and nodded to me to stay there until the lady will go. I bend down and stay there for a minute or so until Sam opened the window, "Okay," He said and I climbed inside.

Dean opened his toolbox and removed the EMF meter. "So, a killer walks in and out of the apartment - no weapons, no prints, nothin'," He said. "I'm tellin' ya, the minute I found that article, I knew this was our kind of gig," I said. The EMF meter beeped frantically.

"I think I agree with you," Dean said as he and Sam stood up. "So, you talked to the cops?" Sam asked. "Uh, yeah," Dean said and smirked, "I spoke to Amy, a, uh, charming, perky officer of the law."

"Yeah? What'd you find out?" Sam asked as they split. Dean said, dreamily, "Well, she's a Sagittarius. She loves tequila, I mean - wow. Oh, and she's got this little tattoo - "

"Dude!" I called. "What?" Dean asked, turning around to look at me and Sam, "Yeah. Uh, nothin' we don't already know. Except for one thing they're keepin' out of the papers."

"Hm?" Sam asked. "Meredith's heart was missing," Dean said. "Her heart?" Sam and I asked at the same time, stunned. "Yeah. Her heart," Dean muttered.

"So, what do you think did it to her?" Sam asked as they both stood with me. "Well, the landlady said it looked like an animal attack. Maybe it was - werewolf?" Dean suggested.

"No, no werewolf, the lunar cycle's not right. Plus, if it was a creature, it would've left some kind of trace. It's probably a spirit," Sam explained.

The front door opened and I immediately ran to the bathroom as Sam and Dean placed the EMF meters back into the toolbox. I closed the door and waited until it was clear. Soon, the front door opened and closed again and I got a text from Dean.

 **We going to the car,**

 **\- Dean.**

I put the phone back to my pocket and opened the bathroom door just a little. No one was there. I sighed as I walked out. I headed to the window that I came from but stopped when my eyes caught the blood on the carpet and noticed something.

I tilted my head before looking for a masking tape around the room. I found one and used it to connect each pool of blood. When I was done, the pieces of tape form an unusual symbol.

I studied it but I never saw it. "What the hell?" I mumbled to myself before grabbing a camera and took a shot. I pulled out the picture and looked at it to see if it was good so I could show it to Dean and Sam.

I went back to the Impala and saw Sam and Dean at their seats. I climbed into the back seat. "What happened? What took you so long?" Dean asked. "I need to show you something," I said and handed Sam the picture. "How you ever saw that symbol before?"

Sam and Dean studied it and shook their heads, "Never," Dean replied. "Me neither," Sam said and we exchanged a look.

... ...

It was dark when Dean and I were at the bar, waiting for Sam. I was sitting at a table, smirking as I watched Dean flirting with an attractive bartender.

Someone sat beside me and I glanced over to see a cute guy with two beers. "Hey," He said, handing the beer to me. I smiled and took it but I didn't drink it and just hold it, "Hey," I said.

"I'm Tyler, what's your name?" He asked, smirking. I was about to say something when I glanced to where Dean was and saw he was making his way towards us. Oh boy.

Dean gave a fake smile as he came to the table and Sam walked in as well. "Mind let us talk with our baby sister?" Dean asked and his fake smile turned to a deadly glare while Sam glared at Tyler as well.

Tyler tensed, "Ah, yeah, yeah, sure," He said and got up as Sam patted him back, pushing him away. I rolled my eyes, "Can't I have some fun too?" I muttered, yet my two protective big brothers heard, "No," They said at the same time.

I sighed as they sat down. Sam started leafing through Dad's journal, pulling out the article about Meredith. "I talked to the bartender," Dean said.

"Did you get anything? Besides her number?" I asked. "Dude, I'm a professional. I'm offended that you would think that," Dean said but Sam and I gave him a knowing look. "All right, yeah," He admitted, chuckling and hold up a napkin with the bartender's phone number on it.

"You mind doin' a little bit of thinking with your upstairs brain, Dean?" Sam asked. "Huh? Look, there's nothing to find out. I mean, Meredith worked here, she waited tables, everyone here was her friend. Everybody said she was normal. She didn't do or say anything weird before she died, so - what about that symbol, you find anything?" Dean asked.

"Nope, nothing. It wasn't in Dad's journal or in any of the usual books. I just have to dig a little deeper, I guess," Sam said and I sighed.

"What about the first victim? Before Meredith?" I asked, frowning. Sam pulled out a newspaper clipping concerning the first death, "His name was, uh - his name was Ben Swardstrom." He showed the clipping to me and Dean. "Last month he was found mutilated in his town house. Same deal - the door was locked, the alarm was on."

"Is there any connection between the two of them?" I asked. "Not that I can tell - I mean, not yet, at least. Ben was a banker, Meredith was a waitress. They never met, never knew anyone in common - they were practically from different worlds," Sam explained.

"So, to recap, the only successful intel we've scored so far is the bartender's phone number," Dean joked and I rolled my eyes. Suddenly, Sam seemed to notice something at the other side of the room. Dean and I frowned and looked around. "What?" We both asked at the same time.

Sam didn't answered, instead he got up and started walking away. "Sam?" I asked, confused. Dean and I looked at each other before following him.

When we got to Sam, he was talking to a young woman. She looked cute and had a blonde pixie cut. She seemed very kind and welcoming.

"Well, they're not here right now, but what about you, Meg? I thought you were goin' to California," Sam said to the girl, Mag as Dean and I stood behind him.

"Oh, I did. I came, I saw, I conquered. Oh, and I met what's his name, something Michael Murray at a bar," She said, smiling at Sam. She didn't looked at me and Dean.

"Who?" Sam asked, confused. "Oh, it doesn't matter. Anyway, the whole scene got old, so I'm living here for a while," She said. Dean cleared his throat loudly, but no one noticed and I smirked.

"You're from Chicago?" Sam asked. "No, Massachusetts - Andover. Gosh, Sam, what are the odds we'd run into each other?" She asked. "Yeah, I know, I thought I'd never see you again," Sam said.

"Well, I'm glad you were wrong," She said, smiling. I smirked as Sam nodded. Dean crossed his arms and cleared his throat again, louder this time. "Dude, cover your mouth," She said to him.

Dean uncrossed his arms. "Yeah, um, I'm sorry, Meg. This is, uh - this is my brother, Dean and my sister Scarlett," Sam said. Meg looked surprised and smiled at me, "You Scarlett?" She asked. I nodded and gave a smile, "Hi."

"Oh my god, I should have knew that. I saw a picture of you in Sam's phone but you look a little different," She said. "I hope in a good way," I said and we both chuckled. "Yeah, don't worry," She said and hold her hand to me, "It's nice to finally met you." I smiled as I shook her hand, "You too."

Then she looked at Dean and her smile turned to a small one, "This is Dean?" Dean smiled. "Yeah," Sam said. "So, you've heard of me?" Dean asked. "Oh, yeah. I've heard of you. Nice - the way you treat your brother and sister like luggage," She said. His smile faded and he looked confused, "Sorry?"

"Why don't you let them do what they wants to do? Stop dragging them over God's green earth," She said. I hid my grin on Sam's arm. "Meg, it's all right," Sam promised and Dean whistled lowly.

"Okay, awkward. We're gonna get a drink now," Dean said. "Hope to see you again," I said as Dean gave Sam a puzzled look. Meg looked back at me and smiled, "You too," She said and Dean wrapped his arm around my shoulder and dragged me away.

Soon, Sam finished his conversation with Meg and the three of us walked out of the bar, "I like that girl," I said as I put Dad's journal in my inside pocket jacket, "Did you see how she talked to Dean? It was hilarious." Sam laughed while Dean gave me his bitchface.

"Who the hell was she?" Dean asked as we walked towards the Impala. "I don't really know. I only met her once. Meeting up with her again? I don't know, man, it's weird," Sam said.

"And what was she saying? I treat you like luggage?" Dean asked and looked at me, "Scar, am I treating you and Sam like luggage?"

"No?" I said, more like asking jokingly but he gave me a look as Sam chuckled. "What, were you bitchin' about me to some chick?" Dean asked Sam.

"Look, I'm sorry, Dean," Sam said. "It was when we had that huge fight when I was in that bus stop in Indiana. But that's not important, just listen -"

"Well, is there any truth to what she's saying?" Dean asked, cutting him off. "I mean, am I keeping you against your will, Sam?"

"No, of course not. Now, would you listen?" Sam asked and stopped walking. "What?" Dean asked as we stopped and turned to him.

"I think there's somethin' strange going on here, guys," Sam said. "Yeah, tell me about it. She wasn't even that into me," Dean said and I rolled my eyes.

"No, man, I mean like our kind of strange. Like, maybe even a lead," Sam said. "Wait, why do you say that?" I asked, frowning.

"I met Meg weeks ago, literally on the side of the road. And now, I run into her in some random Chicago bar? I mean, the same bar where a waitress was slaughtered by something supernatural? You don't think that's a little weird?" Sam asked.

"I don't know, random coincidence. It happens," Dean said, shrugging. "Yeah, it happens, but not to us. Look, I could be wrong, I'm just sayin' that there's something about this girl that I can't quite put my finger on," Sam said.

Dean smirked, "Well, I bet you'd like to. I mean, maybe she's not a suspect, maybe you've got a thing for her, huh?" Sam rolled his eyes and laughed. "Maybe you're thinkin' a little too much with your upstairs brain, huh?" He pointed to his head then to Sam's pants and grinned.

"Dude, you talking about yourself again," I said, smirking. Sam chuckled and then looked between us, "Do me a favor. Check and see if there's really a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts, and see if you can't dig anything up on that symbol on Meredith's floor."

"What are you gonna do?" Dean asked. "I'm gonna watch Meg," Sam said. Dean and I laughed. "Yeah, you are," Dean agreed.

"I just wanna see what's what. Better safe than sorry," Sam said. "All right, you little pervert," I said with a smirk. "Dude," Sam said, shaking his head slightly with his bitchface.

"We're goin', we're goin'," Dean said as we both crossed the street and left Sam with the car.


	56. 16-2 Dark Shadow

Dean and I were at the motel, doing research. I was doing on the symbol from the books, leaning on the headboard while Dean was searching for a Meg Masters on the laptop on the table.

"Find anything about the symbol?" Dean asked. I frowned, "I think so," I replied as he grabbed him phone and called Sam, " _Hey_ ," Sam picked up.

"Let me guess. You're lurkin' outside that poor girl's apartment, aren't you?" Dean teased. " _No_ ," Sam replied, scoffing. Dean and I looked at each other, waiting for the real response. " _Yes_."

"You've got a funny way of showin' your affection," I said and Dean smirked. " _Did you find anything on her or what?_ " Sam asked.

"Sorry, man, she checks out. There is a Meg Masters in the Andover phonebook. I even pulled up her high school photo," Dean said. "Now, look, why don't you go knock on her door and, uh, invite her to a poetry reading, or whatever it is you do, huh?"

" _What about the symbol? Any luck?_ " Sam asked, ignoring Dean's comment. "Yeah, I did have luck with that," I replied as I looked down at the books, "It's, uh - turns out it's Zoroastrian. Very, very old school, like two thousand years before Christ. It's a sigil for a Daeva."

" _What's a Daeva?_ " Sam asked. "It translates to "demon of darkness". Zoroastrian demons, and they're savage, animalistic, you know, nasty attitudes - kind of like, uh, demonic pit bulls," I explained.

" _How'd you figure that out?_ " Sam asked, sound impressed. "Looked through the books," I replied, grinning. " _That's good. Impressive_ ," Sam complimented.

"Thank you. But here's the thing - these Daevas, they have to be summoned, conjured," I explained. "Huh, so, someone's controlling it?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. And, from what I gather, it's pretty risky business, too. These suckers tend to bite the hand that feeds them. And, uh, the arms, and torsos," I listed.

" _So, what do they look like?_ " Sam asked. "Nobody knows, but nobody's seen 'em for a couple of millennia," I explained. "I mean, summoning a demon that ancient? Someone really knows their stuff. I think we've got a major player in town."

"Now, why don't you go give that girl a private strip-o-gram?" Dean asked Sam, smirking. " _Bite me_ ," Sam said. "No, bite her. Don't leave teeth marks, though -" Sam cut him off by hanging up. "Sam? Are you -?" I smirked as he placed the phone back on the table.

"You know what I was thinking about?" I asked suddenly as something just came to my mind. Dean looked at me, frowning, "Well, I'm not a mind reader, so." I rolled my eyes, "The two victims lived here, right?" I asked and he nodded, "But . . . Where did they born?"

He thought for a second and shrugged, "I think here too," He said, raising an eyebrow. "You guessing," I stated. "But what if . . ." I shook my head slightly, "What if the place that they were born is the connection between them?"

He thought for a moment, "I think we should look for that," I said. "Yeah, okay. I'll go to the police department, see if I can get their files," He agreed and got up, slipping on his jacket. "I'll stay here," I said and he nodded before leaving.

Soon, Dean came back, "It's a good thing I'm listening to you, you know?" He said and I smirked, "I know," I teased and he rolled his eyes as we both sat down at the table. "I checked the files. Guess where the two victims born?" He said.

I frowned, "Where?" I asked and he opened the two files, "Lawrence, Kansas," He replied as he showed the files to me. My eyes grow wide, "What?" I asked, shocked as I looked at the files.

"Yep," Dean said and I closed the files. Then, Sam walked into the room and quickly told us what he found out. "So, hot little Meg is summoning the Daeva?" Dean asked. "Looks like she was using that black altar to control the thing," Sam said.

"So, Sammy's got a thing for the bad girl," Dean said and chuckled but Sam just rolled his eyes. "And what's the deal with that bowl again?" Dean asked. "She was talking into it. The way witches used to scary into crystal balls or animal entrails. She was communicating with someone," Sam explained.

"With who? With the Daeva? It can't be," I said. "No, you said those things were savages. No, this was someone different. Someone who's giving her orders. Someone who's comin' to that warehouse," Sam replied.

"I pulled a favor with my -" Dean said and cleared his throat, "- friend, Amy, over at the police department. The complete records of the two victims - we missed something the first time." I walked to the table where the files were on.

"What?" Sam asked as he followed Dean over to me. "The first victim, the old man - he spent his whole life in Chicago, but he wasn't born here. Look where he was born," I said and pointed at where.

"Lawrence, Kansas," Sam read. Dean nodded and picked up the second file, "Meredith, second victim - turns out she was adopted. And guess where she's from." The paper read "Lawrence, Kansas". Sam sat down, clearly shocked. "Holy crap."

"Yeah," Dean and I said at the same time. "I mean, it is where the demon killed Mom. That's where everything started. So, you think Meg's tied up with the demon?" Sam asked.

"I think it's a definite possibility," Dean said. "But I don't understand. What's the significance of Lawrence? And how do these Daeva things fit in?" Sam asked. "Beats me. But I say we trash that black altar, grab Meg, and have ourselves a friendly little interrogation," Dean said.

"No, we can't," I said. "Scar's right. We shouldn't tip her off. We've gotta stake out that warehouse. We've gotta see who, or what, is showin' up to meet her," Sam said. "I'll tell you one thing," Dean said. "I don't think we should do this alone."

He's right.

We need Dad.

Sam and I went to the Impala to grab everything that we could use while Dean stayed at the room. We came back with bags full of weapons and saw Dean talking on the phone, "We think we've got a serious lead on the thing that killed Mom. So, uh, this warehouse - it's 1435 West Erie. Dad, if you get this, get to Chicago as soon as you can."

"Voicemail?" I asked as he hung up. "Yeah," He replied. Sam and I dropped the bags on the bed and Dean turned and got up from the bed, "Jesus, what'd you get?"

Sam and I chuckled. "We ransacked that trunk. Holy water, every weapon that we could think of, exorcism rituals from about a half dozen religions," I said. "I'm not sure what to expect, so I guess we should just expect everything," Sam said.

Dean nodded, and the three of us started loading the guns silently. "Big night," I spoke up, sighing. "Yeah. You guys nervous?" Sam asked. "No," Dean and I said at the same time. "Why, are you?" Dean asked.

"No. No way," He replied and then another silent for a few seconds before Sam spoke, "God, could you imagine if we actually found that damn thing? That demon?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, all right?" Dean said, chuckling slightly. "I know. I'm just sayin', what if we did? What if this whole thing was over tonight? Man, I'd sleep for a month. Go back to school - be a person again," Sam said.

I froze and looked at him, "You wanna go back to school?" I asked. "Yeah, once we're done huntin' the thing," He replied, smiling slightly.

"Huh," That's all what Dean said. Sam looked between the two of us, "Why, is there somethin' wrong with that?" He asked, frowning.

"No. No, it's, uh, great. Good for you," Dean said and I gave a small smile. "I mean, what are you two gonna do when it's all over?" Sam asked.

"It's never gonna be over. There's gonna be others. There's always gonna be somethin' to hunt," I said quietly. Sam looked at me and then back to Dean, "But there's got to be somethin' that you want for yourselves -"

"Yeah, I don't want you to leave the second this thing's over, Sam," Dean snapped. He walked over to the dresser, his back turned to us. I looked at Sam with sad eyes. I didn't want him to leave. Not again.

"Dude, what's your problem?" Sam asked, he looked at me before back at Dean. Dean stayed silent for a moment, then turned back to Sam. "Why do you think I drag you everywhere? Huh? I mean, why do you think Scar and I came and got you at Stanford in the first place?"

"'Cause Dad was in trouble. 'Cause you wanted to find the thing that killed Mom," Sam said. "Yes, that, but it's more than that," I said as Dean turned back to the dresser and was silent for a moment. "You, me, Scarlett and Dad - I mean, I want us . . . I want us to be together again. I want us to be a family again," Dean said.

"I don't want you to go again, Sammy," I muttered, looking away form Sam for a moment before back at him. His eyes soften and he looked between me and Dean, "Guys, we are a family. I'd do anything for you. But things will never be the way they were before."

"Could be," Dean said sadly. Sam gave a small nod. "I don't want them to be. I'm not gonna live this life forever. Guys, when this is all over, you're gonna have to let me go my own way." I stared at him, tears were in my eyes but I fought them back.

... ...

We were at the Warehouse. We had to climb the elevator gate and soon we reached the top room. We saw Meg standing at the altar, her back was facing us, speaking in an ancient language.

Quietly, me and my brothers squeezed through the space between the gate and the wall. We drew our guns and moved to the other side of the room, hiding behind some crates.

"Guys," Meg called, not turning around and me and my brothers looked at each other, stunned. How did she knew? "Hiding's a little bit childish, don't you think?"

"Well, that didn't work out like I planned," Dean muttered. Meg turned around to face us. "Why don't you come out?" She asked.

We stood up slowly and began to walk out from the crates, guns raised. She also began to walk towards us, "Sam, I have to say, this puts a real crimp in our relationship."

"Yeah, tell me about it," Sam said. "So, where's your little Daeva friend?" I asked and she looked at me, giving me a smile, "Around. You know, that shotgun's not gonna do much good."

"Oh, don't worry, sweetheart. The shotgun's not for the demon," Dean said. "So, who is it, Meg? Who's coming? Who are you waiting for?" Sam asked as she looked back at him.

"You," She replied simply. I frowned but my eyes grow wide when I saw a shadow demon formed on the wall. It knocked Sam to the ground and threw Dean into the crates behind us. Then it threw me into the wall and everything went dark.


	57. 16-3 An Old Friend?

I came to, finding that my hands were bound behind me to a pole. I groaned and looked around, Sam and Dean in the situation, I was between them. They were still unconscious.

Meg was sitting directly in front of me, watching me with curiosity and a small smile on her face. "Hello, Scarlett," She greeted. I looked at her with hard eyes and wanted nothing more then to attack her.

She got up and crouched down in front of me. "It's been a while," She said. I frowned, "What the hell are you taking about?" I growled.

"You don't remember, do you?" She asked, smiling. I tilted my head slightly and she placed a hand on my cheek. "You and I were close friends," She whispered, getting closer to my face. I looked away from her with a frown.

"Best friends," She whispered gently in my ear. "You were, what? 9 years old?" She moved away and I looked at her, frowning. "We meet at school, became close," She said. "We shard secrets and we became best friends. I will admit, I was a bit sad when you had to leave."

I stared at her, "You were that Meg?" I asked after a moment. She smiled again, "It's good to see you again, _old friend_ ," She said. I shook my head, "But, how in the hell -"

"Long story, baby," She said, cutting me off. "Your brothers will wake up any minute."

I stared at her. "You know, Scar," She started. "You have a few fans. You, your brothers and your Daddy." She smiled, "But I'm more your fan then theirs."

She got up and walked back to sat down in front of me, legs crossed. I shook my head in disbelieve. The 9 years girl that became my first best friend was her?! It couldn't be. No way!

I looked at my brothers and saw they started to wake up. They looked at Meg, "Hey, Sam? Don't take this the wrong way, but your girlfriend . . . is a bitch," Dean comment.

"This, the whole thing, was a trap," Sam said. "Running into you at the bar, following you here, hearin' what you had to say. It was all a set-up, wasn't it?" Meg gave a small chuckle. "And that the victims were from Lawrence?"

"It doesn't mean anything. It was just to draw you in, that's all," She said. "You killed those two people for nothin'," I said. "Baby, I've killed a lot more for a lot less," She said.

"You trapped us. Good for you. It's Miller time. But why don't you kill us already?" Dean asked. "Not very quick on the uptake, are we?" Meg said. "This trap isn't for you." Dean and Sam were puzzled while I thought for a second, then realized something, "Dad. It's a trap for Dad."

Dean looked back at Meg, "Oh, sweetheart - you're dumber than you look. 'Cause even if Dad was in town, which he is not, he wouldn't walk into something like this. He's too good."

"He is pretty good. I'll give you that," Meg agreed. She walked over to him and sat down, "But you see, he has one weakness."

"What's that?" Dean asked. "You," She replied. "He lets his guard down around his boys and precious baby girl, lets his emotions cloud his judgment. I happen to know he is in town. And he'll come and try to save you. And then the Daevas will kill everybody - nice and slow and messy."

"Well, I've got news for ya. It's gonna take a lot more than some . . . shadow to kill him," Dean said. "Oh, the Daevas are in the room here - they're invisible. Their shadows are just the only part you can see," She explained.

"Why you doin' this, Meg? What kind of deal you got worked out here, huh? And with who?" Sam asked. "I'm doing this for the same reasons you do what you do - loyalty. Love. Like the love you had for Mommy - and Jess," She said.

"Go to hell," He said. "Baby, I'm already there," She said, smiling and then slid over to him. "Come on, Sam. There's no need to be nasty." She lent in to whisper in his ear. "I think we both know how you really feel about me. You know, I saw you watching me - changing in my apartment. Turned you on, didn't it?"

"Get a room, you two," Dean said as I pretend to gag. "I didn't mind. I liked that you were watching me. Come on, Sammy. You and I can still have a little dirty fun," Meg said and began to kiss his neck.

"You wanna have fun? Go ahead then. I'm a little tied up right now," Sam said as I pulled out my knife and nodded to Dean, who nodded back and I started to cut myself free.

Meg smiled at Sam and continued to kiss him. There was a noise on my side and it made her stop. She slid to my side and looked behind my post.

She took the knife and tossed it into the corner. Meg swing around to the other side of the post, and smiled at me. I chuckled guiltily and the she slid back over to Sam. "Now, were you just trying to distract me while your sister cuts free?"

"No. No," Sam said. "That's because I have a knife of my own." Meg looked at him confused. Sam broke free from his ropes and grabbed her shoulders, then knocked his head against hers. She fall to the floor while he groaned in pain.

"Sam! Get the altar," I ordered. He walked over to the altar and overturned it. Suddenly, two shadow demons appeared and grabbed Meg, she screamed as she was dragged across the floor by her ankles and crashed through the window, falling down to the street below.

Sam grabbed his knife and cut me and Dean free from the ropes. We walked over to the window and saw Meg sprawled on the sidewalk, dead.

"So, I guess the Daevas didn't like being bossed around," Sam stated. "Yeah, I guess not. Hey, Sam?" Dean said. "Hm?"

"Next time you wanna get laid, find a girl that's not so buckets-o'-crazy, huh?" Dean said and then smiled before walking away. I smirked and then looked at Sam, "How's your head?" I asked. "It's fine," He said.

"Good," I said and then smacked him in the chest. "Now, let's go." I walked away and heard him chuckling as he followed me.

We went back to the motel and walked back to our room. "Why didn't you just leave that stuff in the car?" Dean asked Sam, who had a bag of weapons on his shoulder.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again - better safe than sorry," Sam replied. Dean unlocked the door and we entered the room.

We saw an outline of a man standing by the window. "Hey!" Dean called. Sam opened the bag as I turned on the lights. The man turned around and we froze.

It was Dad.

"Dad?" Dean and I asked at the same time, shocked. "Hey, boys, Princess," He greeted with a soft smile. Dean stood for a moment before he and Dad walked towards each other and then shared a long hug.

Sam and I watched as they pulled apart a few seconds later. Dad's eyes met mine and he opened his arms to me. I smiled as tears were in my eyes. I rushed over to him and threw myself in Dad's arms. He hugged me tightly and I buried myself into his hug.

"You grown taller," He remarked and a small laugh escaped from my lips. We pulled away from the hug and he brushed my tears that fell with his fingers. Sam walked over and Dad looked at him with a soft smile, "Hi, Sam."

"Hey, Dad," Sam said softly. They didn't hug, but just stared at each other. Sam placed the bag full of weapons on the floor. "Dad, it was a trap. I didn't know, I'm sorry," Dean said.

"It's all right. I thought it might've been," Dad said. "Were you there?" I asked and he nodded, "Yeah, I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive. She was the bad guy, right?"

"Yes, sir," Me and my brothers said at the same time. "Good. Well, it doesn't surprise me. It's tried to stop me before," Dad said.

"The demon has?" Sam asked. "It knows I'm close. It knows I'm gonna kill it. Not just exorcise it or send it back to hell - actually kill it," Dad said. "What? How?" I asked. He smiled, "I'm workin' on that."

"Let us come with you. We'll help," Sam said and Dean gave him a warning look. Dad shook his head slightly, looking down and then back up, "No, Sam. Not yet. Just try to understand. This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don't want you caught in a crossfire. I don't want you hurt."

"Dad, you don't have to worry about us," Sam said. "Of course I do. I'm your father," He said as he looked at each of us. "Listen, Sammy, last time we were together, we had one hell of a fight."

"Yes, sir," Sam agreed. Dad looked down, nodding slightly then back at him, tears in his eyes again, "It's good to see you again. It's been a long time."

"Too long," Sam said and the two of them embraced, crying. Dean wrapped his arm around me and I wrapped my arms around him, smiling at my brother and father hugging.

They pulled apart and Dad looked at each of us. Suddenly, Dad was thrown into a set of cabinets and fell to the ground. I was thrown into the table and it broke and sent me rolling to the floor. Sam was hit across the floor.

"No!" Dean yelled and he was thrown to the floor as well. I screamed in pain as a claw was dragged down my stomach and heard Dad, Sam and Dean groaning and screaming in pain but I didn't opened my eyes, the pain was to much.

"Shut your eyes! These things are shadow demons, so let's light 'em up!" Sam yelled and I saw a flash of light behind my eyelids. I knew that the shadows disappeared. I opened my eyes as we all started coughing and Sam and Dean stood up.

"Dad!" Dean called. "Over here!" Dad called back as Sam grabbed the bag. Dean made his way to Dad and helped him up as Sam helped me.

He wrapped his arm tightly around my waist, supporting me as we followed Dean and Dad towards the door. We all exited the motel and walked down the alley to the Impala.

Sam handed me to Dad and he wrapped his arm around me tightly as Sam threw the bag in the backseat of the car, "All right, come on. We don't have much time. As soon as the flare's out, they'll be back."

"Wait, wait, wait! Sam, wait," Dean said and then looked at Dad, "Dad, you can't come with us." I looked at my older brother in shock.

"What? What are you talkin' about?" Sam asked him. "You guys - you're beat to hell," Dad said. "We'll be all right," Dean promised.

"Dean, we should stick together," I said. "We'll go after those demons -"

"Shorty, listen to me," Dean cut me off gently. "We almost got Dad killed in there. They're not gonna stop. They're gonna try again. They're gonna use us to get to him. I mean, Meg was right. Dad's vulnerable when he's with us. He - he's stronger without us around."

"Dad," Sam started and put a hand on Dad's shoulder as Dean looked away sadly and my eyes were full of tears, "No," Sam said. "After everything - after all the time we spent lookin' for you - please. I gotta be a part of this fight."

"Sammy, this fight is just starting. And we are all gonna have a part to play. For now, you've got to trust me, son," Dad said but Sam shook his head. "Okay, you've gotta let me go."

We all were silent for a moment, close to tears. Finally, Sam looked at his hand on Dad's shoulder, and then pat his shoulder once, then let go. Dad kissed me on the top of my head and unwrapped his arm from me as he and Dean shred a look.

Then Dad walked to his truck. Once there, he looked back at me and my brothers one more time. "Be careful, kids," He said and then climbed into truck.

"Come on," Dean said. We climbed into our seats as Dad drive away and watched as his truck turned the corner. Without a word, Dean started the car and backed into the street, speeding down the road and around a corner. I stared out the window and sighed sadly.

 _We lost Dad again._


	58. 17-1 Hell House

I woke up after sleeping for what? Two or three hours? I glanced around and saw we were still driving. I sighed, looking at Dean and he turned to see me awake. He smiled and then turned back around. I looked at Sam and saw he was sleeping with his mouth open.

Dean looked at Sam too and then back at the road as he felt around then pulled out a plastic spoon. I raised an eyebrow, "What are you doing?" I asked. He smirked, "Shh, Shorty," He said and I rolled my eyes. He gently placed the plastic spoon in Sam's mouth and I bit my lower lip from not laughing.

Dean grinned, he flipped open his phone and took a photo, then turned the music up loud. " _Fire . . . of unknown origins . . . took my baby away!_ " Dean sang loudly.

Sam jerked up, realizing something was in his mouth, panicking and waved his arms as he spit it out. I air drummed along to the song and Dean saw me through the rearview mirror and pointed at it, "Oh, yeah, way to go, Scar!" He said, laughing.

I giggled and Dean looked at Sam, grinning as Sam wiped his mouth and turned down the music. "Ha ha, very funny," Sam said.

Dean laughed, "Sorry, not a lot of scenery here in East Texas, kinda gotta make your own."

"Man, we're not kids anymore, Dean. We're not going to start that crap up again," Sam said. "Start what up?" Dean asked. "That prank stuff. It's stupid, and it always escalates," Sam said.

"Aw, what's the matter, Sammy, scared you're going to get a little Nair in your shampoo again huh?" Dean teased and I gave a small chuckle but quickly put my hand on my mouth when Sam glared at me.

"All right, just remember you started it," Sam said to Dean. "Ah ha, bring it on baldy," Dean said. "Where are we?" I asked as I lent forward. "A few hours outside of Richardson," Dean replied. "Gimme the lowdown again?"

Sam grabbed the newspaper from the dashboard, "All right, about a month or two ago this group of kids goes poking around in this local haunted house," He read.

"Haunted by what?" Dean asked. "Apparently, a pretty misogynistic spirit. Legend goes, it takes girls and strings them up in the rafters. Anyway this group of kids see this dead girl hanging in the cellar," Sam explained.

"Anybody ID the corpse?" I asked. "Well, that's the thing. By the time the cops got there the body was gone. So cops are saying the kids were just yanking chains," Sam explained.

"Yeah, well, you know us; The teenagers," I said, giving my brothers a fake smile. "Well, you turned out not so bad," Sam said, smirking. I gave a fake chuckle, "Ha ha ha, you so funny," I said and he laughed.

"Hey, maybe the cops are right about the kids," Dean said. "Maybe, but I read a couple of the kids firsthand accounts. They seemed pretty sincere," Sam said.

"Really? Where'd you read these accounts?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Sam gave a small laugh, looking a little embarrased, "Well, I knew we were going to be passing through Texas. So, umm, last night, I surfed some local . . . paranormal websites. And I found one."

"And what's it called?" Dean asked. " ," Sam replied. "Pfft. Lemme guess, streaming live out of Mom's basement," Dean joked and I giggled. Sam grinned, "Yeah, probably."

"Yeah. Most of those websites wouldn't know a ghost if it bit 'em in the persqueeter," Dean said. "Look. We let Dad take off. Which was a mistake, by the way. And now we don't know where the hell he is, so meantime we gotta find ourselves something to hunt. There's no harm checking this thing out," Sam said.

"All right. So where do we find these kids, Sammy?" I asked, sighing. "Same place you always find kids in a town like this," Sam replied.

We pulled up to the fast food, Rodeo Drive. We talked to the people who were at the Hell House, two dudes and a chick, but none of them had the same stories; One said the girl had a blonde hair, then it was black and then red. It started to sound less and less convincing.

"And kinda hot. Well you know in a dead sort of way," The boy who worked at the place said. "Okay!" Dean said and looked at me and Sam with a raised eyebrow.

"And . . . how'd you find out about this place anyway?" Sam asked, looking at the three who sat opposite us. "Craig," The three of them replied, simultaneously.

We found out that Craig worked at the local music store so we went there. We walked in and I grinned; it was filled with old records, posters were scattered across the walls, and rock music was blasting through the entire room.

I glanced at Dean and knew he like it here just as much I did. "I like it," I said to him and he smirked and he and Sam moved on.

"Fellas," A guy started as he came out from behind the counter. I walked up and stood between my brothers, "And ma'am," He corrected himself. His eyes moved to my body and I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. "Can I help you with anything?" The guy asked.

"Yeah, are you Craig Thurston?" Sam asked. "I am," He replied. "Well, we're reporters with the Dallas Morning News. I'm Dean, this is Sam and Scarlett," Dean introduced.

"No way. Well, I'm writer too. I write for my school's lit magazine," Craig said. "Well, good for you Morrissey," Dean comment.

"Umm. We're doing an article on local hauntings and rumor has it you might know of one," I said. "You mean the Hell House?" Craig asked.

"That's the one," Dean replied. "I didn't think there was anything to the story," Craig said, shaking his head slightly. "Why don't you tell us the story?" Sam asked.

"Well, supposedly back in the '30s this farmer, Mordachai Murdoch, used to live in this house with his six daughters," Craig started as he moved to the other side of the store and Sam and I followed him while Dean stayed. "It was during the Depression." Craig stopped and looked at me and Sam. "His crops were failing, he didn't have enough money to feed his own children. So I guess that's when he went off the deep end."

"How?" Sam asked as Dean came over. "Well, he figured it was best if his girls died quick, rather than starve to death. So he attacked them. They screamed, begged for him to stop but he just strung 'em up, one after the other. And when he was all finished he just turned around and hung himself. Now they say that his spirit is trapped in the house forever, stringing up any other girl that goes inside," Craig explained.

"Where'd you hear all this?" Dean asked. "My cousin Dana told me. I don't know where she heard it from. Ya gotta realize, I - I didn't believe this for a second," Craig said.

"But now you do," I said. "I don't know what the hell to think, man. You guys, I - I'll tell you exactly what I told the police, ok? That girl was real. And she was dead. This was not a prank. I swear to God, I don't wanna go anywhere near that house ever again, okay?" Craig said. "Thanks," Dean said and the three of us left.


	59. 17-2 Ed And Harry

The next day, we walked up in the muddy road and towards the Hell House. It was in the middle of nowhere, an abandoned farm house. "Can't say I blame the guy," I muttered.

"Yeah, so much for curb appeal," Dean said and Sam and I chuckled. We started looking around the outside of the house, Sam and I were checking the bushes and things while Dean was using the EMF meter, which was making sounds.

"You got something?" Sam asked as we walked up to our older brother. Dean tapped the EMF meter, "Ye-ah. The EMFs no good."

"Why not?" I asked. He pointed at overhead power lines, "I think that thing's still got a little juice in it. It's screwing with all the readings."

"Yeah that'd do it," Sam said. "Yeah. Come on, let's go," Dean said as he stuffed the meter into his pocket and started walking forward.

I was about to follow but then both my brothers turned to me, "What?" I asked. "Scar, I don't think you should . . ." Sam started.

I frowned, "Should what? Go inside the house?" I asked, crossing my arms across my chest. "The bastard goes after girls, Scar. As your brothers, our job is to keep you away from men," Dean comment and I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, you guys already done that couple of times, remember?"

Sam sighed and shard a look with Dean before they both looked back at me. "Okay, just stay close to us, please?" Sam said. "Okay," I agreed. "Great, let's go," Dean said and we headed inside.

We walked inside and looked around. There was some odd symbols, sprayed onto the walls, some I'd seen before and some I hadn't.

Dean whistled. "Looks like old man Murdock was a bit of a tagger here in his time," He said. "And after his time too," I said, pointing to a particular symbol that was created after the 30's when he was supposedly around.

"That reverse cross has been used by Satanists for centuries but this sigil of sulfur didn't show up in San Franciso until the '60s," Sam explained.

Dean stared at both of us for a moment as Sam started to take a picture of the symbols, "That is exactly why you two never get laid," Dean comment. I gave him a look. "Well, you," Dean started, pointing at me, "I'm proud, wait a bit."

I rolled my eyes as he moved to the other wall, "Hey, what about this one, you seen this one before?" I walked over to him and stared at the symbol.

It was a cross with a dot in the middle. The bottom stroke looked like an upside-down question mark. It looked familiar. "No," Sam replied after looking at it and he took a picture.

"I have. Somewhere," Dean stated. "Yeah, me too," I agreed. Sam lent forward, running his fingers over it, "It's paint. Seems pretty fresh too."

"I don't know Sam. You know I hate to agree with authority figures of any kind, but . . . the cops may be right about this one," Dean said. "Yeah, maybe," Sam said.

Then, a loud noise made all of us alert. We rushed to stand either side of the door; Dean and me on one side and Sam on the other. Dean gave a nod and we all burst through the door only to met a bright lights in our faces.

"Oh, cut. It's just a coupla humans," A guy snapped. I blinked a few times to clear my vision. Two geeky men were standing there; One guy hold a small electrical gadget, which was switched off , the other a camera. "What are you guys doing here?"

"What they hell are you doing here?" Dean asked. "Ah-ha-ha. We belong here, we're professionals?" The same guy replied. "Professional what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

The other guy that hadn't spoke yet, glanced at me nervously and then looked down, blushing when he caught my gaze and I smiled, that was cute.

"Paranormal Investigators," The man said, pulling out three business card from his pocket and handed one to me, Sam and Dean, "There you go, take a look at that, boys," He said and looked at me, "And girl." I giggled slightly at how nervous they seemed.

I looked down at the card. "Oh you gotta be kidding me," Dean said. "Ed Zeddmore and Harry Spangler? . You guys run that website," Sam said, smirking slightly.

"Yeah," The man, Ed, probably, replied. "Oh, yeah, yeah, we're huge fans," Dean said sarcastically as he moved to the cabinets. "And ahh, we know who you guys are too," Ed said.

Me and my brothers looked at him sharply. No way they knew. "Oh yeah?" Sam challenged. Ed cleared his throat and looked at us, "Amateurs." I rolled my eyes and looked at Dean, who seemed to lose interest in them as well. "Looking for ghosts and cheap thrills."

"Yep. So if you guys don't mind, we're trying to conduct a serious scientific investigation here," Harry finally spoke up. Then he glanced at me and smiled, "Unless, the pretty girl want to stay and watch." I smiled and tired not lo laugh, they were kinda adorable.

"Yeah, what have you got so far?" Dean asked. "Harry, why doncha tell 'em about EMF?" Ed asked. "Well . . ." Harry scoffed and smiled.

"EMF?" Sam asked, playing dumb, I could see he was trying not to smile. "Electromagnetic field? Spectral entities can cause energy fluctuations that can be read with an EMF detector. Like this bad boy right here," Harry said.

He turned it on and it started beeping like crazy, "Whoa. Whoa. It's 2.8mg." I hid my smile behind my hand as Dean smirked at me and Sam. "2.8. It's hot in here," Ed said.

Dean whistled in fake admiration. "Wow," Sam said and I nodded. "Huh. So you guys ever really seen a ghost before, or . . ." Dean asked.

"Once. We were, uh . . . we were investigating this old house and we saw a vase fall right off the table . . ." Ed said. "By itself," Harry added.

"Well, we, we, we, we didn't actually see it, we heard it. And something like that . . . it uh . . . it changes you," Ed said. "Yeah. I think I get the picture. We should go, let them get back to work," Dean said.

"Yeah, you should," Ed agreed as Dean walked between me and Sam and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "Sam," I said and he followed us outside.

"Yeah, work," Ed said, giggling and then we heard him talking with Harry, "I'm sorry. That pot we smoked gave me the giggles." The second we stepped out of the house, we started to laugh. "Oh wow," I said.

... ...

Sam and I were at the library, we got a book on who lived where in the town and Mordechai was not the guy's name. We met up with Dean outside the library, "Hey. What you got?" He asked.

"Well we couldn't find a Mordechai but we did find a Martin Murdock who lived in that house in the '30s," I explained. "He did have children but only two of them, both boys, and there's no evidence he ever killed anyone," Sam finished. "What about you?"

"Well those kids didn't really give us a clear description of that dead girl but I did hit up the police station. No matching missing persons. It's like she never existed," Dean explained. We reached to the Impala, "Dude, come on, we did our digging, man, this one's a bust all right. For all we know those hellHound boys made up the whole thing."

"Yeah all right," Sam agreed, sighing. "I say we find ourselves a bar and some beers and leave the legend to the locals," Dean said and climbed into the driver seat. I was about to climbed into the back seat but Sam hold his arm out and stopped me.

I glanced up at him, confused but he leaned down, looking into the window, smiling. Then, I heard a loud Latino pop-dance music blasting from the speakers.

I glanced through the window as Dean turned off everything. "What the . . ." Sam climbed into his seat as I rolled my eyes before climbing in.

Sam licked his finger and marked an imaginary '1' in the air then pointed to himself. Dean gave him a dirty look, "That's all you got? Weak. That is bush league." Sam laughed as the Impala pulled away and I chuckled.

... ...

Dean, Sam and I were at the bar, my brothers taught me how to play Snooker so right now I was playing with Dean. He put his hand in front of my face as he was leaning against the table. "Dude," I said as I moved his hand away and he chuckled.

"You not gonna win," He said. I smirked as I looked at him, "Watch me," I said and took the shot. The four balls went straight into the two holes. I grinned, I won! I looked at my brothers and giggled when I saw their shocking expresses on their faces. Sam soon laughed in impressive while Dean continued to stare in shock.

"Wow, that was amazing," Sam said and we shred a high five. "Son of a . . ." Dean muttered and Sam and I laughed. "It's a shame we didn't had a bet on money," I said, smirking. "It's a good thing we didn't," Dean corrected and I giggled, shaking my head.

...

The next day, we heard that another group of teenagers visited the Hell House last night and one girl died. That thing was real and was killing people. We headed to the house and saw emergency vehicles were parked around the house and the body was being brought out on a stretcher, already in the body bag.

We walked up to a man that was standing outside, after he talked with a cop. "What happened?" Dean asked the man. "A coupla cops say a girl hung herself in the house," He replied.

"Suicide?" Sam asked in shock. "Yeah. She was a straight A student, with a full ride to UT too. It just don't make sense," The man said before walking away. "What do you guys think?" I asked. "I think maybe we missed something," Dean said.

... ...

We waited until nightfall and we headed to the Hell House to investigate. A police car was parked outside and two police men stood around, keeping watch. Dean, Sam and I were crouched down behind the bushes.

"I guess the cops don't want anyone else screwing around in there," Sam remarked. "Yeah but we still gotta get in there," Dean said. Whispering and twigs snapping was heard and I frowned, glancing around.

"I don't believe it," I muttered and Sam and Dean looked behind Sam to see Ed and Harry; hunched over, wearing all sorts of gadgets, whispering and shh-ing each other.

"I got an idea," I said, smirking. I stood up slightly, turning towards the cops and cupped a hand to my mouth, "Who ya gonna call!"

That got the police's attention and the first thing they saw was Ed and Harry, "Hey! You!" Ed and Harry screamed and started to ran away, the police followed them, leaving us the perfect opening.

Sam and Dean smirked and the three of us ran into the house. One inside, Sam broke into the rifles, handing one to Dean and then one to me. Dean turned on his flashlight and shined it on the symbol on the wall, "Where have I seen that symbol before? It's killing me!"

"Come on, we don't have much time," Sam reminded and we walked into the basement. It was filled with different jars. Dean made his way over to one of the shelves and picked up a jar, the pale red liquid sloshed around.

"Hey Sam. I dare you to take a swig of this," Dean said. Sam and I looked at him like he was crazy. "What the hell would I do that for?" Sam asked.

Dean looked back at the jar and then back at Sam, ". . . I double dare you," He said. Sam just shook his head, not looking at our brother and Dean grinned.

A noise made us alert and Dean quickly put the jar back down and we moved towards the cabinet, where the noise seemed to come from. Dean nodded to Sam to open the door and he flung the door open. A couple of rats scurried out and Dean jumped back in disgust.

"Arghh! I hate rats," He said. "You'd rather it was a ghost?" I asked, rising an eyebrow. "Yes," He said. I chuckled but stopped when I felt a weird presence behind me. Sam and Dean seemed to feel the same thing because we all spun around. A deathly pale man was standing there with axe in the air.

Mordechai.

Sam and I both shot at him but it didn't do anything. He kept coming so Dean fired another round and finally, he disappeared. "What the hell kind of spirit is immune to rock salt?" Sam asked.

"I dunno. Come on. Come on come on!" Dean said and we started to ran toward the stairs. Mordechai smashed his axe down, catching the shelves and bringing the jars crashing down on Dean. Mordechai took a swing at Sam but he blocked it with his rifle, "Go! Get outta here!"

I helped Dean up and he rushed me with him to the stairs to the door with Sam following. Mordechai smashed the electrical box and sparks fly everywhere.

We ran through the house and burst through the front door, all of us crashed to the emergency tape and rolled down the steps. We spring immediately to our feet only to see Ed and Harry standing there, camera's in our faces.

"Get that damn thing outta my face!" Dean yelled, shoving them out of the way as we ran. "Go, go, go!" Sam said. I could hear Ed and Harry screaming as we ran.


	60. 17-3 An Idea

The next day, we were still in our motel room. Dean and I were leaning against the headboard and Sam was at the table on his laptop.

I drew the symbol that was familiar to me and Dean. "What the hell is this symbol?" I muttered. "I know right? It's buggin' the hell outta me. This whole damn job's buggin' me. I thought the legend said Mordechai only goes after chicks," Dean said.

"It does," Sam said. "All right. Well I mean that explains why he went after you and Scar, but why me?" Dean asked, scratching the back of his head. I giggled and Dean smirked, ruffling my hair, which I pushed him away.

"Hilarious. The legend also says he hung himself but did you see those slit wrists?" Sam asked. "Yeah," I said. "What's up with that? And the axe too. I mean, ghosts are usually pretty strict, right? Following the same patterns over and over?" Sam asked.

"But this mook keeps changing," Dean said. "Exactly. I'm telling ya, the way the story goes . . ." Sam said. "Wait a minute."

"What?" Dean asked. "Someone added a new post to the Hell Hound site. Listen to this," Sam started. "'They say Mordechai Murdock was really a Satanist who chopped up his victims with an axe before slitting his own wrists. Now he's imprisoned in the house for eternity."

I was staring at the symbol I drawn and something clicked inside my brain. My eyes grow wide and I sat up straight. "Where the hell is this going?" Sam asked.

"Hey, I don't know but I think I might have just figured out where it all started," I said and showed Dean the symbol again, "Dean, think hard. We do know where we saw it."

He thought for a second and frowned before shaking his head. I sighed, "I know where we need to go," I said as I looked between my two brothers.

... ...

We got to the music store and saw Craig there, looking depressed. "Hey Craig? Remember us?" Dean called. "Guys, look I'm really not in the mood to answer any of your questions okay?" Craig said as I flicked through the albums, "Don't worry. We're just here to buy an album, that's all," I said as I looked at him.

He turned around and I looked back at the albums. I found what I was looking for; The Blue Oyster Cult. I showed it to Dean and he looked at me after he saw it. "Son of a . . ." He muttered.

I walked with him and Sam between me, walking to Craig as I was talking with my brothers, "You know I couldn't figure out what that symbol was and then I realized that it doesn't mean anything. It's the logo for the Blue Oyster Cult."

Craig turned to face us. "Tell me Craig, you, uh, you into BOC? Or just scaring the hell outta people?" I asked and handed him the album. He flipped it over to reveal the same symbol. "Now why 'n't you tell us about that house . . . without lying through your ass this time," Dean said.

Craig sighed and started to explain, "All right, um. My cousin Dana was on break from TCU. Ah, I guess we were just bored, looking for something to do. So I showed her this abandoned dump I found. We thought it would be funny if we made it look like it was haunted. So we painted symbols on the walls, some from some albums, some from some of Dana's theology textbooks. Then we found out this guy Murdock used to live there so we . . . we made up some story to go along with that. So they told people, who told other people. And then these two guys put it on their stupid website. Everything just took on a life of its own. I mean I, I thought it was funny at first but . . . now that girl's dead!" He had tears in his eyes, "It was just a joke, you know. I mean, none of it was real, we made the whole thing up. I swear!"

"All right," Sam said softly and Dean cleared his throat before we turned around and walked away. "But if none of it was real how the hell do you explain Mordechai?" I asked my brothers.

... ...

Dean and Sam were back at the motel room while I went to a shop and grabbed something to drink. As I walked back to the motel, my phone rang and I pulled it out. I frowned, it was an unknown number. "Hello?"

" _Hey, Angel_."

My eyes grow wide. "Dad?" I asked. " _Yeah, it's me. How are you and your brothers?_ " He asked. "We okay, working on a case," I replied. "Dad, where are you?" I heard him sighing, " _I can't tell you yet, Princess. I'm sorry. I wanted to call, make sure you three are okay_."

"Then, when we going to see you? This is only the _second_ time you call, you know," I said. " _I know. I wise I could all the time but I couldn't. It's too dangerous_ ," He said. " _Don't tell your brothers that I called, okay?_ "

I frowned, "Why not?" I asked. " _They will try to look for me. I will see you three soon, okay?_ " He said. "Okay," I said. " _I love you, Princess_ ," He said. I smiled a little, "I love you too," I said and we both hung up.

I sighed sadly, staring down at my phone. "Hey," A voice called and I looked up and saw Sam and Dean walking up to me from the motel. "You okay?" Sam asked. I gave a small smile, "Yeah. Let's go eat."

We went to a local diner. I went straight to a high table while Sam and Dean went to get their coffee's. They started making their way over to me and I noticed that Dean had a small smirk on his face as Sam shifted, uncomfortably.

"Dude, you okay?" I asked Sam, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, I'm fine," He said. "Yeah?" Dean asked. "Yeah," Sam said as they sat down.

"So, ahhh, all right keep going. What about these Tulpas?" Dean asked. "Okay, so there was this incident in Tibet in 1915. Group of monks visualised a golem in their head. The meditated on it so hard they bought the thing to life. Outta thin air," Sam explained.

"So?" I asked, taking a sip from my drink that I got before. "That was 20 monks. Imagine what 10,000 web surfers could do," Sam said and he pulled out his laptop from his bag. "I mean Craig starts the story about Mordechai, then it spreads, goes online. Now there are countless people all believing in the bastard."

"Now wait a second. Are you trying to tell me that just because people believe in Mordechai, he's real?" Dean asked. "I dunno, maybe," Sam replied, looking uncomfortable.

"People believe in Santa Claus - how come I'm not getting hooked up every Christmas?" Dean asked. "Cuz you're a bad person. And because of this . . ." Sam replied, turning his laptop and showing us a symbol.

"That's a Tibetan spirit sigil," Sam explained. "On the wall of the house. Craig said they were painting symbols from a theology textbook. I bet they painted this, not even knowing what it was. Now that sigil has been used for centuries, concentrating meditative thoughts like a magnifying glass. So people are on the HellHounds website, staring at the symbol, thinking about Mordechai . . . I mean I don't know, but it might be enough to bring a Tulpa to life."

"It would explain why he keeps changing," I said. Sam grimaced and adjusted himself again, "Right, as the legend changes, people think different things, so Mordechai himself changes. Like a game of telephone. That would also explain why the rock salt didn't work."

"Yeah because he's not a traditional spirit," Dean said. "Yeah," Sam replied, still fighting. I frowned, what's wrong with him?

"Ok. So why don't we just . . . uhh . . . get this spirit sigil thingie off the wall and off the website?" I asked. "Well it's not that simple. You see, once Tulpas are created they take on a life of their own," Sam replied.

"Great. So if he really is a thought form how the hell are we supposed to kill an idea?" Dean asked. Sam was still itching and adjusting, "Well it's not gonna be easy with these guys helping us. Check out their home page." He twisted his laptop to show us the footage from last night. "Since they've posted the video their number of hits have quadrupled in the last day alone."

"Hmph. I got an idea. Come on," Dean said. "Where we going?" Sam asked, closing his laptop. "We gotta find a copy store," Dean said as he and I both stood up.

Sam was still itching and jiggling, "Man, I think I'm allergic to our soap or something," He said as he put his laptop in his bag.

Dean laughed as he walked away. "You did this?" Sam asked but Dean continued to laugh, walking towards the door. "You're a friggin jerk!" Sam called. "Oh yeah," Dean said, raising his fist in the air and exiting the diner.


	61. 17-4 A New Story

Dean's fist pounded against the trailer's door of Ed and Harry's. A slight squeals came from inside, "Who is it?" Harry called.

"Come on out here guys, we hear you in there," Dean said as I stuffed my hands into my pockets. "It's them!" Ed said and then the door opened and they stick their heads out the door.

"Ah, would you look at that! Action figures in their original packaging - what a shock," Dean said sarcastically. "Guys, we need to talk," Sam said.

"Yeah, um, sorry guys. We're ahhh, a little bit busy right now," Ed said as they stepped out of the trailer to stood in front of us. "Okay then, we'll make it quick. We need you to shut down your website," I said.

Ed laughed and looked at Harry, "Man, you know, these guys got us busted last night, spent the night in a holding cell . . ."

"I had to pee in that cell urinal. In front of people," Harry said and pointed a finger at us, "And I get stage fright."

"Why should we trust you guys?" Ed asked. "Look guys. We all know what we saw last night, what's in the house. But now thanks to your website there are thousands of people hearing about Mordechai," Sam said.

"That's right. Which means people are gonna keep showing up at the Hell House, running into him in person, somebody could get hurt," I said.

"Yeah, yeah . . ." Ed said, sound like he didn't care. What a jerk! Harry glanced nervously at Ed, "Ed, maybe they got a point, maybe . . ."

"Nope . . ." Ed said. "No," Harry agreed quickly, shaking his head at us. "We have an obligation to our fans, to the truth," Ed said.

"Well, I have an obligation to kick both your little asses right now -" Dean said, smiling in annoyance but Sam stopped him, "Dean - Dean, hey, hey, just, forget it, all right? These guys . . . probably bitch slap them both." Ed chuckled. "I could probably even tell them that thing about Mordechai . . ." Dean and I looked at Sam, shaking our heads. "But they're still not gonna help us. Let's just go."

Dean and I followed Sam and heard Ed and Harry running after us, "Whoa . . . whoa . . . What you say about . . .?"

"Hang on a second here," Harry said. "Wait . . . wait," Ed said. "What thing about Mordechai you guys?" Harry asked. "Don't tell 'em, Sam," I said. "But if they agree to shut the website down, Scar," Sam said. "They're not going to do it, you said so yourself," Dean said.

"No wait. Wait. Don't listen to him okay? We'll do it. We'll do it," Ed said and me and my brothers stopped. "It's a secret Sam," Dean said and we turned around to face Ed and Harry. "Look, it is a really big deal all right. And it wasn't easy to dig up. So only if we have your word that you'll shut everything down," Sam said.

"Totally," Ed said. "All right," Sam said and nodded to me. I sighed, "But it's mine," I muttered as I pulled out the fake paperwork from my jacket, handing it over t them.

"It's a death certificate. From the '30s. We got it at the library. Now according to the coroner, the actual cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound," I explained.

"That's right, he didn't hang or cut himself," Dean added. "He shot himself?" Harry asked in shock. "Yep. With a .45 pistol. To this day they say he's terrified of them," Sam said.

"Matter of fact they say if you shoot him with a .45, loaded with these special wrought-iron rounds - it'll kill the sonuvabitch," Dean said.

Ed and Harry sniggered gleefully at the news before Harry spun around and bolted back toward the trailer with Ed following more slowly.

"Harry. Slow your roll buddy. They're gonna know we're excited," Ed whispered but we heard him. I smirked and before I knew it; Dean and Sam tackled me and I giggled and they chuckled.

"You," Dean started, smirking as he pointed at me, "Are very evil girl." I giggled and shrugged, "I'm trying my best," I said and they laughed as we walked back to the Impala.

... ...

We sat in a booth at the local diner. Sam was in his laptop, sitting opposite Dean and I. Dean reached up and pulled the 3D artwork of a fisherman holding a big fish and pulls the cord. The fisherman's mouth moved up and down and an extremely annoying laugh played.

Sam reached across and pulled the cord to stop it and glared at Dean, "If you pull that string one more time I'm gonna kill you."

Dean, deadpan, stared at Sam while pulling the cord again. Sam immediately stopped it, glaring at Dean while our older brother snickered.

I rolled my eyes. "Come on man, you need more laughter in your life. You know you're way too tense," Dean comment as Sam took a sip from his beer, ignoring Dean's comment. Dean sighed, "They post it yet?"

Sam turned the laptop around to me and Dean and he stabbed his salad angrily. "We've learned from reputable sources that Mordechai Murdock has a fatal fear of firearms," I read and then frowned, "All right. How long do we wait?"

Sam closed the laptop, "Long enough for the new story to spread, and the legend to change. I figure by nightfall iron rounds will work on the sucker." He hold his beer up in cheers. Dean hold his beer while I hold my juice, "Sweet," Dean said and clicked his bottle against Sam's and mine.

I took a sip from my drink and looked at Sam, who started to grin, looking at Dean as he took a long drink. Dean tried to put his bottle down but it was stuck to his hand. Sam cracked up as Dean stared at it, confused.

"Oh no," I said as Dean looked at Sam, "You didn't," He said. Sam continued to laugh and hold up a super glue, "oh, I did!" I chuckled and Dean shook his hand while Sam, laughing, pulled the string to set the fisherman laughing with him.

... ...

It was night time. We used the fisherman for a distraction, for the police as we snuck back into the house. We entered the house alert, guns drawn, and began searching as we stayed close to one another.

"I barely have any skin left on my palm," Dean said. "I'm not touching that line with a ten foot pole," Sam said. I rolled my eyes as Dean shined his flashlight in Sam's face until he winced, then moved into the other room. I sighed as Sam and I followed.

"So you think old Mordechai's home?" I asked as I stood between my brothers, pointing the guns on the door. "I don't know," Sam said.

"Me either," A voice said from behind us. We spun around, guns pointed to see it was just Ed and Harry, "WHOA! WHOA!"

"What are you trying to do, get yourself killed?" I snapped. "We're just trying to get a book and movie deal, okay?" Ed explained, hands raised as he was holding the camera.

From the basement came the sound of knives being sharpened. Me and my brothers immediately jumped back to be alert.

"Oh crap," Ed whispered as he and Harry crowd in close behind us with their camera. "Ah guys, you wanna . . . you wanna open that door for us?"

"Why don't you?" Dean asked. Then a moment after, Mordechai brushed through the door holding an axe and screaming. Me and my brothers fired at him to which he disappeared like before.

We waited a moment before searching the other rooms, to ensure they were clear. "Oh God. He's gone. He's gone," I heard Ed breathe out.

"Did you get him?" Harry asked. "Yeah they got him," Ed said. "No, on camera, did you get him on camera," Harry asked. "Ah, ah, I . . ." Ed stuttered.

"Let me see it, let me see it," Harry snapped as I came back. Mordechai appeared, slamming his axe through the camera, forcing Harry to the ground and disappeared again.

I rushed over and helped him up as Dean came in, "Hey! Didn't you guys post that B.S. story we gave you?" Dean asked. "Of course we did," Ed said as Sam came in the other door, gun at the ready.

"But then our server crashed," Harry said. "So it didn't take?" I asked. "UH . . . mmm . . ." The two stuttered. "So these, these guns don't work," Dean said.

"Yeah," Ed said. "Great. Sam, Scar, any ideas?" Dean asked. "We are getting outta here," Harry said as he walked to Dean's side at the door, "Yeah," Ed said but he didn't moved so Harry came to his side and grabbed him, "Come on, Ed." With that they both walked out of the room.

I scratched my head, sighing. But then, screaming echoed through the house and I took off running. I got to the front door and saw Ed and Harry pinned to the wall as Mordechai coming towards them.

"HEY!" I yelled and Mordechai turned to me. "Come and get it you ugly son of a bitch," I called, smirking. He swing at me with his axe but I ducked just in time and it lodged in the wall above my head. He pulled it out and took another swing which I caught this time but he used his strength against me and pinned me to the wall by my throat.

"Get out of here, now!" I screamed at Ed and Harry, who both just stood there frozen. "We're out of here . . ." Ed said as he and Harry took off.

Mordechai lifted me off my feet with the pressure of the axe on my throat. I started to choke as my air ways were cut off. "Dean! Sam!" I gasped loudly, crying for my brothers.

"HEY!" I heard Sam's voice. Mordechai dropped me and headed towards Sam and Dean, allowing me to slip away as Dean pulled out a spray bottle and light the gas. Sam grabbed me, pulling me up to my feet and we ran through the house, stopping at the doorway only when I lent over, grabbing my throat.

"Mordechai can't leave the house, we can't kill him - We improvise," Dean explained, holding up a lighter. He flicked it and threw it into the room.

It bursts into flame and we ran outside. We stopped at the trees, watching as the flames grew higher. Mordechai stood in the doorway, watching us but then disappeared. "That's your solution? Burn the whole damn place to the ground?" Sam asked.

"Well nobody will go in anymore. I mean look, Mordechai can't haunt a house if there's no house to haunt. It's fast and dirty but it works," Dean said. "Well what if the legend changes again and Mordechai is allowed to leave the house?" I asked.

"Well - well then we'll just have to come back," Dean said. We watched the house as it burn in silence until Sam broke it, "Kinda makes you wonder. Of all the thing we hunted, how many existed just cuz people believed in them."

...

After we stopped Mordechai last night. Tonight we were about to leave. Finally. But we decided before that to go and talk to Ed and Harry. Me and my brothers were hanging out by a picnic table at the trailer park.

I stuffed my hands into my pockets as Ed and Harry approached, carrying grocery bags. "I was thinking that Mordechai has a really super high attack bonus," We heard Harry say to Ed. "Man I got the munchies right now," Ed said and then noticed us, "Gentlemen. Milady."

"Hey guys," Sam said with a soft smile as we stood up, walking after them. Harry glanced at us over his shoulder and looked at me, smiling which I returned.

"Should we tell 'em?" Harry asked Ed. "Hey, might as well, you know, they're going to read about it in the trades," Ed said. "So this morning we got a phone call from a very important Hollywood producer," Harry started.

"Oh yeah, wrong number?" I asked, smirking. Harry shot a glare at me over his shoulder but he blushed and looked away when his eyes caught mine.

"No, smart-ass. He read all about the Hell House on our website and wants to option the motion picture rights. Maybe even have us write it," Ed explained and they placed their grocery bags into a totally overloaded car.

"And create the RPG," Harry added. "The what?" Dean asked. "Role playing game," Harry explained. "Right," Dean said. "A little lingo for you. Anyhoo, ahhh, excuse us, we're off to la-la land," Ed said and he opened the driver door as Harry opened the passenger door.

"Well congratulations guys. That sounds really great," Sam said. "Yeah," I said. "That's awesome, best of luck to you," Dean said.

"Oh yeah, luck. That has nothing to do with it. It's about talent. Sheer unabashed talent," Ed said and we all nodded at each other. Ed made a hand gesture, "Later." He climbed into the driver seat.

Harry quickly walked around the car and rushed over to me, kissing me on the cheek. "Bye," He said, cheeks bright red. I smiled at him and he got back to the car and climbed inside. He was kinda adorable.

"See ya round . . ." Ed said as they pulled away. "Wow," Dean said, watching them leave. I touched my cheek that Harry kissed and Dean chuckled. "I thought you had good taste in men," He said and I giggled. "I do, but he was cute," I admitted.

"I have a confession to make," Sam said, smirking as we started to walk to the Impala. "And what's that?" I asked. "I, uh . . . I was the one that called them and told them I was a producer," Sam confessed.

The three of us started to laugh. "Yeah, well I'm the one who put the dead fish in their back seat," Dean said and we laughed again. "Oh my god, you guys are evil," I said. "You did something too, didn't you?" Dean said, smirking.

I smirked, "Maybe," I admitted and climbed into the backseat as they both laughed. After a moment, they climbed inside. "Yeah truce. At least for the next 100 miles," Dean said, smirking.

We pulled away. "You know what I thought?" Dean said. "I think it's time." I frowned. "What is?" Sam asked, confused as I was. "I think it's time to teach Scar how to drive," Dean said. My eyes grow wide and my jaw dropped.

"Are you just saying it or?" Sam asked, frowning. "I mean it," Dean said and looked at through the rearview mirror, smirking, "What do you think, Shorty? You up for it?"

"Yes!" I said and leaned forward. "Yes, yes, yes!" Sam and Dean laughed and I grinned.


	62. 18-1 Something Wicked

It's been three weeks since meeting Ed and Harry and since then, Dean kept his promise to teach me how to drive. And what am I doing right now? Driving!

For the last three weeks, both Dean and Sam taught me but I'm still learning, but Dean, being the "responsible" brother that he always was, thought I should drive the Impala this time as we were heading to another town for a case.

And can you believe that? Dean Winchester letting me drive his Impala! Sam didn't thought it was a good idea but Dean thought I should, so who am I to say no to something like _that_ , huh?

Dad had sent us more coordinates for the case, he wanted us to check it out. Sam didn't look convinced that something was wrong in the town though.

Dean was sitting at the passenger seat while Sam was at the back seat. "Yeah. You probably missed something, that's what," Dean said.

"Dude, I ran LexisNexis, local police reports, newspapers, I couldn't find a single red flag. Are you sure you got the coordinates right?" Sam said. "Yeah, I double checked. It's Fitchburg, Wisconson. Dad wouldn't have sent us coordinates if it wasn't important Sammy," Dean said.

"Well I'm telling you I looked and all I could find was a big steamy pile of nothing. If Dad's sending us hunting for something I don't know what," Sam said, getting frustrated.

"Maybe he's going to meet us there," I spoke, shrugging. "Yeah. Cause he's been so easy to find up to this point," He said sarcastically.

"You're a real smart ass you know that? Don't worry I'm sure there's something in Fitchburg worth killing," Dean said, turning slightly to look at our brother. "Yeah? What makes you so sure?" Sam asked.

"Cause I'm the oldest, which means I'm always right," Dean said. I frowned and glanced at Dean as Sam lent forward, looking at him as well, "No it doesn't," We both said at the same time.

"It totally does," Dean said. I scoffed as I looked back at the road, "Please, between you and me; I'm right more times then you are, Granny," I said. Sam laughed and Dean gave me a glare, "Hey, one more word, you gonna pull over and never drive my Baby again," He warned and I smirked, "Yeah, right."

Soon, we made it to Fitchburg. I pulled over at the main street and Dean went to grabbed us something to drink while Sam and I were leaning against the Impala. Our gazes were locked onto the playground in front of us.

"Well," Dean started, coming to stand next to me as he handed us our drinks. "The waitress thinks the local freemasons are up to something sneaky but other than that no one's heard about anything freaky going on."

"Dean, you got the time?" I asked as he walked to the passenger door but stopped. He glanced at his watch and then back at me, "Ten after Four. Why?"

"What's wrong with this picture?" Sam asked, indicating ahead of us. The playground was deserted, only single girl was climbing around.

"School's out isn't it?" Dean asked. "Yeah," I agreed, nodding my head. "So where is everybody? This place should be crawling with kids right now." Dean went to go talk with the mother of the girl and after that he told us bout some kids got sick and they were at the hospital.

We went to the hospital and walked inside, "I'm gonna go ahead," I said and Dean nodded as Sam looked at his fake ID. "Dude. Dude I am not using this ID," Sam said to Dean as I walked ahead. I waited for them at the stairs.

After a minute or so, Sam and Dean walked up to me. I raised an eyebrow, noticing Dean was grinning and Sam looked pissed. "What happened now?" I asked, sighing. "Ask your brother," Sam said and sighed, "It's upstairs, come on."

He walked up the stairs as I turned to Dean, who still grinning, "What did you do now?" I asked. "Nothing," He said, shrugging. I rolled my eyes before following Sam with Dean behind me.

As we walked down the corridor, I glanced inside and open door as we were passing by and stopped. There was an old lady sitting in a wheelchair near the far wall when an inverted cross was hanging upside down. Her back was facing me but she was someone I would say as a witch. Her head slowly turned until she was facing me.

"Scar!" Dean called from ahead of me and I snapped back to reality and looed at them. My brothers both stood there, waiting. I glanced back at the room before following them.

We met a doctor who was caring for the sick children. We walked with the doctor after Sam and Dean told him that they from the CDC and I'm with them because I'm Sam's sister and I wanted to come.

"Well, thanks for seeing us, Dr. Hydecker," Dean said as we followed him through the corridor. "Well, I'm glad you guys are here. I was just about to call CDC myself," Dr. Hydecker replied. "How'd you find out anyways?"

"Oh some GP, I forget his name, he called Atlanta and, uh, he must've beat you to the punch," Dean said as we passed a glass wall, inside were the sick children. "So you say you got six cases so far?" Sam asked

"Yeah, five weeks," Dr. Hydecker replied and we stopped. "At first we thought it was garden variety bacterial pneumonia. Not that newsworthy. But now . . ."

"Now what?" I asked, looking at the children with sad eyes. "The kids aren't responding to antibiotics. Their white cell counts keep going down. Their immune systems just aren't doing their job. It's like their bodies are . . . wearing out," Dr. Hydecker explained.

"Excuse me, Dr Hyecker," A nurse called and she handed him a form to sign. "You ever see anything like this before?" Sam asked Dr. Hydecker.

"Never this severe," Dr. Hydecker replied. "And the way it spreads . . . that's a new one for me," The nurse added. "What do you mean?" I asked, tearing my eyes finally from the scene.

"It works its way through families. But only the children, one sibling after another," She explained. Sam and I shared a glance as Dean spoke, "You mind if we interview a few of the kids?"

"They're not conscious," She said. "None of them?" Sam asked, shocked. "No," She replied. "Can we, uh, can we talk to the parents?" Dean asked softly. Dr. Hydecker handed the nurse the form as he looked at us, "Well, if you think it'll help."

"Yeah. Who was your most recent admission?" Dean asked. Dr. Hydecker gave us a name and where they most likely were. We headed to the waiting room where one of the fathers sat and began to ask him some questions.

"I should get back to my girls," He said, looking tired. "We understand that, and we really appreciate you talking to us. Now you say Mary is the oldest?" Sam asked softly.

"Thirteen," He replied. "Okay. And she came down with it first, right? And then . . ." Sam trailed off. "Bethany, the next night," He replied.

"Within 24 hours?" I asked. "I guess. Look, I, uh, I already went through all this with the doctor," He replied. "Just a few more questions if you don't mind. How do you think they caught pneumonia? Were they out in the cold, anything like that?" Dean asked.

"No. We think it was an open window," He replied. "Both times?" Dean asked. "The first time, I, I don't really remember but the second time for sure. And I know I closed it before I put Bethany to bed," He explained.

"So you think she opened it?" Sam asked. "It's a second story window with a ledge. No one else could've," He stated.

We thanked him before we left. "You know this might not be anything supernatural. It might just be pneumonia," Sam said as we walked down the corridor.

"Maybe. Or maybe something opened that window. I don't know man, look, Dad sent us down here for a reason. I think we might be barking up the right tree," Dean said.

"I'll tell you one thing," Sam said and the three of us stopped. "What?" I asked. "That guy we just talked to? I'm betting it'll be a while before he goes home," Sam said.


	63. 18-2 Memories

We broke into the empty house after Sam and Dean changed and decided that Bethany's room was the best place to look. Dean was checking for EMF while Sam and I searched the room for physical evidence.

"You got anything over there?" Sam asked me and Dean. "Nah, nothing," Dean replied. "Nope," I said, sighing. "Yeah, me neither," Sam replied. I moved over to the window, shining the blue light along the windowsill. I frowned when I saw something and opened the window. "Hey guys?"

"Yeah," Both my brothers called. I stared at the window, there was a ling black hand print that was rotted into the wood. "Um . . . Dean, you were right. It's not pneumonia," I said.

They both walked over and stood beside me, looking at the hand print. "It's rotted. What the hell leaves a handprint like that?" I asked, not noticing that they exchanged glances before looking back at it.

 **Third Person POV**

 ** _ _Flashback__**

 ** _ _**1993**__**

 _At a motel room, the 14 years old Dean was staring at a photo of the same handprint. John came out of the bedroom, loading his sawn off, "All right. You know the drill, Dean. Anybody calls, you don't pick up. If it's me, I'll ring once, then call back. You got that?"_

 _"Mm-hmm. Only answer the phone unless it rings once first," Dean said, sounding a little tired. "Come on, dude, look alive. This stuff is important," John scolded softly. "I know, it's just . . . we've gone over it like a million times and you know I'm not stupid," Dean said as he followed his father to the motel sink._

 _"I know you're not," John agreed as he looked at Dean. "But it only takes one mistake, you got that?" Dean nodded and John continued gathering his things. "All right, if I'm not back Sunday night . . .?"_

 _"Call Pastor Jim," Dean said. John sighed, "Lock the doors, the windows, close the shades. Most important . . ." He said. "Watch out for Sammy and Scar," Dean said and they looked over Dean's shoulder to see Sammy, sprawled on the couch watching cartoons on TV with the three years old Scarlett on his lap. "I know."_

 _"All right. If something tries to bust in?" John asked. "Shoot first, ask questions later," Dean replied. John smiled, "That's my man," He said as he placed a hand on Dean's shoulder. Dean smiled and walked John to the door, locking it behind him and then looked back at Scarlett and Sam._

 ** _End flashback_**

 ** _**Now**_**

 **Scarlett POV**  
I looked at my brothers and frowned when I noticed that they looked like they remembered something, "You guys okay?" I asked. They snapped out of it and Sam looked at me with a small soft smile, "Yeah," He said.

Dean looked a little sick, "I know why Dad sent us here. He's faced this thing before. He wants us to finish the job."

... ...

It was night when the Impala pulled into a motel. Dean parked the car outside the office and we climbed out. "So what the hell is a shtriga?" I asked.

"It's . . . uh, kinda like a witch, I think. We don't know much about 'em," Sam replied as we moved to the trunk of the car. "Well, I've never heard of it. And it's not in Dad's journal," I pointed out.

"Dad hunted one in Fort Douglas, Wisconsin, about 12, 13 years ago. You were there but you were a baby," Dean explained. "And I guess he caught wind of the things in Fitzburg now and kicked us the coordinates."

"So wait, this . . ." I said. "Shtriga," Sam said. "Yeah, you think it's the same one Dad hunted before?" I asked them. "Yeah, maybe," Dean said and closed the trunk.

"But if Dad went after it why is it still breathing air?" I asked as I followed him with Sam towards the office. "Cause it got away," He said as he turned back to me.

"Got away?" I asked. "Yeah it happens sometimes," Sam said. "Not very often," I stated. "Well I don't know what to tell ya, maybe Dad didn't have his wheaties that morning," Dean said.

"What else do you guys remember?" I asked, sighing. "Nothin'. We were kids all right?" Dean said, defensively and he opened the door and walked into the office while Sam and I stayed behind.

 **Third Person POV**

 ** _ _Flashback__**

 ** _ _**1993**__**

 _Sam and Scarlett were sitting at the table. Dean poured Sam a glass of milk as Sam was trying to get Scarlett to eat, "Come on, Scar, eat," He said, holding the spoon. Scarlett shook her head, "No," She muttered._

 _The brothers both sighed. Sam looked up at Dean, "When's Dad gonna get back?" He asked as Dean grabbed a pot from the stove, "Tomorrow," He replied as he walked back over._

 _"When?" Sam asked as Dean was pouring from the pot into his bowl, "I dunno. He usually comes in late though. Now eat your dinner." He looked at Scarlett, "You too, Shorty."_

 _Scarlett shook her head, "No," She muttered. Sam sighed. "I'm sick of scabetti-ohs," He said as Dean went to the sink and put the pot into the sink. Dean turned around, "Well - You're the one who wanted 'em!"_

 _"I want lucky charms!" Sam whined. "There's no more lucky charms," Dean said. "I saw the box!" Sam said. "Okay, maybe there is but there's only enough for one bowl and I haven't had any yet," Dean said._

 _Sam gave a puppy dog eyes. Dean grabbed Sam's bowl from the table and dumped it in the trash. He grabbed a new bowl and the box of lucky charms, thumping them on the table. Dean sighed, standing on Scarlett's other side, watching as Sam reached into the box and pulled out the toy._

 _Sam hold it out to Dean, a small smile on his face, "D'you want the prize?" Dean smiled softly and shook his head. "Scar?" Sam asked. "Scar is too young for this," Dean remarked. "No," Scarlett said and the two brothers chuckled._

 _"Are we going to do this game again?" Sam asked his baby sister. "No," Scarlett replied, shaking her head, receiving more laugh from her brothers._

 ** _End flashback_**

 ** _**Now**_**

 **Scarlett POV**  
We got a room and I started to search everything about a shrtiga on Sam's laptop. It wasn't easy to find but I did. Dean was pouring himself a coffee in the small side kitchen while Sam sat on one of the beds

"Well, you were right," I said to my brothers, sitting on the other bed with the laptop. "It wasn't very easy to find but you were right. Shtriga is a kind of witch. They're Albanian, but legends about them trace back to Ancient Rome. They feed off spiritus vitae."

"Spiri-what?" Dean asked, putting the coffee down and lean against the counter. "Vitae. It's Latin, translates to 'breath of life'. Kinda like your life force or essence," I explained and he nodded as he writing something on the pad. "Didn't the doctor say the kids' bodies were wearing out?" He asked.

"It's a thought. you know she takes your vitality maybe your immunity goes to hell, pneumonia takes hold. Anyway, shtrigas can feed off anyone but they prefer . . ." Sam said. "Children," Dean finished.

"Yeah. Probably because they have stronger life force. And get this. Shtrigas are '. . . invulnerable to all weapons devised by God and man'," I read. "No, that's not right. She's vulnerable when she feeds," Sam corrected and Dean nodded as he walked over to my bed. I frowned, "What?"

"If you catch her when she's eating you can blast her with consecrated wrought iron," Dean said as he removed the journal from his duffel bag and walked back to the counter, "Ahhh . . . buckshots or rounds I think." I looked between the two, "How do you know that?"

"Dad told us. We remember," Dean said, pointing at himself and then at Sam before looking through the journal. "Anything else Dad might have mentioned?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Uh, no, that's it," Sam said. I stared at both of them for a moment, frowning.

"What?" They both asked at the same time when they saw me staring. "Nothing," I said, shrugging. "Okay. So, assuming we can kill it when it eats we still gotta find the thing first, which ain't gonna be a cakewalk. Shtrigas take on a human disguise when they're not hunting."

"What kinda human disguise?" Dean asked as Sam walked behind him and made himself a coffee. "Historically, something innocuous. Could be anything, but it's usually a feeble old woman, which might be how the witches as old crones legend got started," I explained.

"Hang on," He said as he moved to the table behind him and grabbed a map. "What?" Sam and I asked at the same time. "Check this out. I marked down all the addresses of the victims. Now these are the houses that have been hit so far, and dead center? " Dean said as I went to stand beside him. He pointed to a particular point.

"The hospital," Sam said. "The hospital. Now when we were there I saw a patient, an old woman," I said. "An old person huh?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," I said. "In a hospital? Phew," Sam said, shaking his head and snickered. I glared at him. "Better call the Coast Guard," He said.

"Well listen, smart-ass, she had an inverted cross hanging on her wall," I said, raising an eyebrow and he looked at me with a serious expression.

... ...

We went down a hallway at the hospital, searching for the room I saw the lady. Dean was slightly ahead of me and Sam and then he pulled us both back when we rounded a corner, seeing Dr. Hydecker.

"Good night Dr. Hydecker," The nurse said. "See you tomorrow Betty," Dr. Hydecker said and he walked pass us and we turned our backs so He wouldn't see our faces. Once he or no one ales was there anymore, we continued on our way to the old lady's room.

We reached the room and I stopped my brothers, pointing to the door. Dean nodded and then glanced around him before pulling out his gun. Sam opened the door and we sneaked inside. Dean was leading while Sam and I behind him. The room was dark and the only light was the moonlight shining through the blinds.

The old woman was sitting in the wheelchair, facing the corner. Dean leaned in closer to her as Sam and I pulled out our guns. Suddenly, the lady's head snapped in Dean's direction, "Who the hell are you?!"

Dean freaked out, leaping back against the wall cabinet, pulling his gun up. "Who's there? You trying to steal my stuff?" The lady asked and the grumbled to herself as I switched on the light, "They're always stealing around here."

"No! Ah, ma'am, we're maintenance. We're sorry. We thought you were sleeping," Sam said. "Ahhh, nonsense. I was sleeping with my peepers open," She said and laughed but then she pointed to the wall, "And fix that crucifix, would ya? I've asked four damn times already!"

Dean looked still slightly freaked out, but turned to his side and swing the crucifix the right way up. He looked at me and Sam and gave a small shrug.


	64. 18-3 The True

It was morning by the time we made it back to the motel. The Impala pulled up into the parking lot and we climbed out, "I was sleeping with my peepers open?" Sam repeated, laughing and I joined him.

We both walked to our door and Dean followed, "I almost smoked that old girl, I swear. It's not funny!" He said. "Oh man, you shoulda seen your face, Dean," I said, laughing. Sam laughed as well as he got the key out.

"Yeah, laugh it off. Now we're back to square one," Dean said and his eyes caught something off to the side. Sam and I stopped laughing and followed his gaze to see a young boy sitting alone outside the office looking forlorn. "Hang on," Dean said and began to walked towards the child, Sam and I close behind.

"Hey what's wrong?" Dean asked and crouched down to his level and Sam and I did as well. The boy looked at Dean, My baby sister's sick," He replied.

"The little lady?" Dean asked and the boy nodded, "Pneumonia. She's in the hospital. It's my fault," He said, looking down with guilt. "Ah c'mon, how?" Dean asked.

"I shoulda made sure the window was latched. She wouldn't've got pneumonia if the window was latched," The boy said. I glanced at Dean and Sam and saw they both looked at each other in thought. I watched them, frowning.

"Listen, I can promise you that this is not your fault. Okay?" Sam spoke softly. "She's three years old. I'm the older brother, it's my job to look after her and Asher," The boy said.

Dean and Sam nodded slightly while I looked back and forth from them and the boy. A woman rushed out the office door, carrying a bag, pillow and a teddy bear. Another young boy ran after her from the door and we all stood.

The woman headed towards the car parked close by, she looked behind her at the two boys, "Michael, Asher, I want you to turn on the no vacancy sign while I'm gone. I've got Denise covering room service so don't bother with any of the rooms," She said.

"We're going with you," Asher said. "Not now, boys," She said. "But we gotta see Emma!" Michael said. "Hey boys," Dean said. "Hey. We know how you guys feel - I'm a big brother too and so is he." He pointed at Sam. "But you gotta go easy on your Mom right now, ok?"

The two boys gave a small nod as their mother slammed the door shut, in her haste, she dropped her handbag, "Dammit!"

"I got it," I said gently, leaning down to pick up her bag and handed it back to her. "Thanks," She said. "Listen, you're in no condition to drive - why don't you let me give you a lift to the hospital," Dean offered. "No, I couldn't possibly . . ."

"No, it's no trouble. I insist," He cut her off. She seemed to hesitate for a moment before holding out her keys to him and he took them. "Thanks," She said before she leaned down and kissed both Asher and Michael on the top of their heads, "Be good."

She opened the passenger door and climbed in. Dean shut the door for her and then glanced at Asher and Michael for a second before turning to me and Sam, "We're gonna kill this thing. I want it dead, you hear me?" He said quietly which Sam immediately nodded in agreement before Dean walked to the driver door.

... ...

Sam and I decided to go to the library to try and find out more information. Sam was sitting at the table on a microfiche machine and I was sitting beside him. After a little while, Sam picked up his phone and dialed Dean's number. He put it on speaker when Dean picked up.

" _Hey_ ," Dean whispered. "Hey. How's the kid?" I asked. " _She's not good. Where you at?_ " He asked. "We're at the library. We've been trying to find out as much as we can about this Shtriga," Sam explained.

" _Yeah, what have you got?_ " Dean asked. "Well, bad news. We started with Fort Douglas around the time you said Dad was there?" I said.

" _Yeah?_ " He said. "It's the same deal. Before that, there was, uh, Ogdenville, before that North Haverbrook, and Brockway. Every 15 to 20 years it hits a new town," Sam said. "Dean, this thing is just getting started in Fitzburgh. In all these other places it goes on for months. Dozens of kids before the shtriga finally moves on. The kids just . . . languish in comas and then they die."

" _How far back's this thing go?_ " Dean asked. "Ah, I don't know. The earliest mention we could find is this place called "Black River Falls" back in the 1890s. Talk about a horror show . . ." Sam said. He flicked the screen to another article where a picture was shown. "Whoa," I breathed out.

" _Guys?_ " Dean asked. "Hold on . . . We're looking at a photograph right now of a bunch of doctors standing around a kid's bed. One of the Doctors is Hydecker," Sam said, staring at it with blank expression on his face.

" _And?_ " Dean asked. "And this picture was taken in 1893," I said. " _You sure?_ " Dean asked after a few seconds. "Yeah. Yeah absolutely," I said. The line went dead and I sighed, knowing Dean hung up.

... ...

After a while we met Dean back at our motel room. Dean was sitting on the bed and Sam was pacing angrily, "We should have thought of this before. A doctor's a perfect disguise. You're trusted, you can control the whole thing," Sam said.

Dean got up and threw off his jacket in anger, "That son of a bitch," He said and he moved to the bathroom. "I'm surprised you didn't draw on him right there," I said as I lent against the counter.

Dean walked back out with a towel, pressing it to his neck, "Yeah well, first of all," He started and threw the towel to the floor, "I'm not going to open fire in a freakin' pediatrics ward."

"Good call," I mumbled. "Second, wouldn't have done any good, because the bastard's bullet proof unless he's chowing down on something. And third, I wasn't packing, which is probably a really good thing cause I probably would have just burned a clip in him on principle alone," Dean said.

"You're getting wise in your old age Dean," I said. "Damn right," Dean said. "Cause now I know how we're going to get it."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked. "Shtriga, works through siblings right?" Dean asked. "Right," Sam agreed. "Well last night . . ." Dean said.

"It went after Emma," Sam said. "So I'm thinking tonight it's probably gonna come after Asher," Dean said. "Well we gotta get him and Michael outta here," I said.

"No. No, that would blow the whole deal," Dean said. "What?" Sam and I asked at the same time. "Yeah," Dean said. "You wanna use the kid as bait?" I asked. "Are you nuts? No! Forget it. That's out of the question."

"It's not out of the question, Scarlett it's the only way. If this thing disappears it could be years before we get another chance," Dean said.

"Asher's a kid. And I'm not going to dangle him in front of that thing like a worm on a hook," I snapped. "Dad did not send me and Sam here to walk away," He said.

"Send _you and Sam_ here? He didn't send only the two of you here - he sent _all three of us_ here," I snapped. "This isn't about you, Scar. I'm the one who screwed up, all right. It's my fault. There's no telling how many kids have gotten hurt because of me," Dean said, walking away with his back facing me.

"Dean, it wasn't only your fault, remember?" Sam said softly. "Yes, it is. I should've listen to you back then," Dean said. I frowned, looking between the two, "What are you guys saying? How is it your fault?"

Dean and Sam glanced at each other and I sighed, "You two been hiding something from me. Since when does Dad bail on a hunt? Since when does he let something get away?" I asked and Dean sat down on the bed, "Now talk to me, tell me what's going on."

"Fort Douglas, WIsconsin. It was our third night in this crap room and I was climbing the walls. Man, I needed to get some air," Dean started.

 **Third Person POV**

 ** _ _Flashback__**

 ** _ _**1993**__**

 _Dean was sitting, watching TV. He sighed before getting up and turning the TV off. He walked to the front door as Sam walked in the room. "Dean, where you going?" Sam asked. "I'm going out for a minute, need some air," Dean said. "Can Scar and I come with you?" Sam asked._

 _"You two need to sleep," Dean pointed out. "I want to go out. Scar is a sleep but we can wake her up, take her out for a while," Sam said. Dean sighed and thought for a moment. "If you want to come with me, fine, but we'll let Scar sleep," He said. "Are you sure about this?" Sam asked, glancing over his shoulder at the bedroom, seeing Scarlett sleeping on his bed with her teddy bear, peacefully._

 _"Yeah, come on," Dean said and opened the door. Sam hesitated for a moment before pushing the worried for their sister to the back of his head and followed Dean outside. Dean locked the door and they left._

 _They played games in reception fro a little while until the owner called them, "Kids. We're closing up," He said. Dean sighed, "Okay, let's go Sammy," He said. "Good night," Sam said to the owner. "Good night," The owner called as the two brothers walked out._

 _Dean and Sam reached to their room. Dean unlocked the door and they walked inside. Sam saw a strange light coming from the bedroom as Dean locked the door after they walked inside. "Dean," Sam whispered._

 _Dean turned around and saw the light as well. He moved closer with Sam behind him and saw the shtriga leaning over Scarlett. Dean reached for the rifle by the door but the shtriga heard him cock it and rears up, hissing._

 _Dean hesitated, terrified. As he did, John brushed through the front door, gun raised, "Get out of the way!" He shouted. Dean grabbed Sam and they both ducked. John shoot the shtriga multiple times with his hand gun. The shtriga jumped through the bedroom window, glass shattering. John got to the window and saw that the shtriga disappeared. He rushed to Scarlett and pulled her close, cradling her, "Scar. Scarlett. Scar. Baby, you okay?"_

 _Scarlett was sleepy and confused, "Daddy?" She said. John sighed in relief, "You all right?" He asked as he hold her close. "Is she alright?" Sam asked. "Yeah," John replied and turned to look at his two boys. "What happened?"_

 _"We - we - we just went out," Dean replied, hesitating as he put the rifle down. "What!?" John asked, looking right at him. "Just for a second. I'm sorry," Dean said. "I told you not to leave this room. I told you not to let Sam and Scarlett out of your sight! Both of them!" John said. Dean and Sam watched as John cradled Scarlett._

 ** _ _End Flashback__**

 ** _ _**Now**__**

 **Scarlett POV**  
I stared at Dean as he told me, "Dad just . . . grabbed us and booked. Dropped us off at Pastor Jim's about three hours away, but by the time he got back to Fort Douglas the shtriga had disappeared, it was just gone. It never surfaced until now. You know, Dad never spoke about it again, I didn't ask, Sam didn't. But he . . . ah . . . he looked at me and Sam different, you know? Which was worse. Not that I blame him. He gave me an order and I didn't listen, I only took Sammy and almost got you killed."

"You were just a kid," I said. "Both of you." Sam shook his head, "You our little sister, Scar. We need to keep you safe," He said. Dean stood up and looked at Sam then at me, "Dad knew this was unfinished business for us. He sent us here to finish it."

"But using Asher - I don't know. I mean, how 'bout one of us hides under the covers, you know, we'll be the bait," I said. "No, it won't work," Sam said softly. "It's gotta get close enough to feed - it'll see us," Dean said. "Believe me, I don't like it, but it's gotta be the kid."


	65. 18-4 Something Good

We went to the office and told Michael and Asher everything. Michael grabbed the phone from the desk, "You're crazy! Just go away or I'm calling the cops," He said.

"Hang on a second," Dean said. "Just listen to me. You have to believe me, okay? This thing came through the window and it attacked your sister. I've seen it. I know what it looks like. Cause it attacked my sister once too."

Michael slowly hang up the phone. "This thing . . . is it . . . like . . . it has this long . . . black robe?" Asher spoke up. "You saw it last night didn't you?" Dean asked him. "I thought I was having a nightmare," He said, looking down.

"I'd give anything not to tell you kids this, but sometimes nightmares are real," Dean said. "So, why are you telling us?" Michael asked. "Because we need your brother's help," Dean said and looked at Asher. Michael looked at his brother as well.

"My help?" Asher asked. "We can kill it. Me and them, that's what we do. But we can't do it without you," Dean said. "What? No!" Michael said, pushing Asher slightly behind him.

"Michael, listen to me. This thing hurt Emma. And it's gonna keep hurting kids unless we stop it, understand me?" Dean said. Michael started at him, horrified.

Michael disagreed with the idea so me and my brothers were back at our room. "Well that went crappy. Now what?" Dean asked. "What did you expect? You can't ask a adult to do something like that, much less a kid," Sam said.

There was a loud knock at the door and we all turned to it. Dean opened the door and Michael and Asher stood there. Sam walked over and stood beside Dean as I got up from the bed.

"If you kill it, will Emma get better?" Michael asked Dean. Dean looked at Sam and then glanced over his shoulder at me before back at the two boys, "Honestly? We don't know."

"You said you were a big brother. Both of you," Asher said, looking between Dean and Sam. They both nodded, "Yeah, we are," Sam said. "You'd take care of your baby sister? You'd do anything for her and for each other?" Michael asked.

"Yeah we would," Dean said as Sam gave a small nod and I smiled slightly. "Us too," Michael said and took a deep breath before looking down at Asher and nodded. Asher nodded back and looked back at my brothers. "I'll help."

... ...

Night had fell and Dean, Michael, Asher and I were in Asher's room. Michael and I put Asher into bed while Dean was finishing hooking up a security camera in the corner of the room, staring into the lense. Asher's hand in mine and Sam was watching the security feed on his laptop in the other room.

"This camera has night vision on it so we'll be able to see clear as day," Dean told Michael and Asher. Then he raised his voice for Sam, "Are we good?"

"A hair to the right," Sam yelled and Dean adjusted the camera. "There, there." Asher looked between Dean and me, "What do I do?"

Dean moved to sit the other side of the bed, beside Michael, "Just stay under the covers," He said. "And if it shows up?" Asher asked.

"We'll be right in the next room. We're gonna come in with guns. So, as soon as we do you roll off this bed and you crawl under it," Dean explained.

"What if you shoot him?" Michael asked, nervously. "We won't shoot him. We're good shots," I promised and looked at Asher, "We're not going to fire until you're clear okay?" Asher nodded tentatively. "Have you heard a gunshot before?"

"Like in the movies?" Asher asked. "It's gonna be a lot louder than in the movies. So I want you to stay under the bed, cover your ears, do not come out until we say so. You understand?" Dean asked.

Asher nodded slowly, looking scared. "Asher, you sure you wanna do this?" Dean asked. The kid didn't answered for a long moment and looked at his brother.

"Asher, you don't have to, it's okay, we won't be mad," I said gently. "No, I'm okay," Asher said, looking at me. "Just don't shoot me."

I gave a smile. "We're not going to let anything happen to you. I promise," Dean said. I kissed Asher on the top of his head before getting up. "It's gonna be okay, little bro," Michael promised and Asher nodded. Michael walked to my side and we left with Dean.

... ...

Dean, Sam, Michael and I were sitting around the small coffee table, watching the security feed on Sam's laptop as the room was in darkness. "What time is it?" Dean asked.

Sam glanced down to his watch then put the audio headphone back to his ear, "Three," He replied. "You sure these iron rounds are gonna work?" I asked. "Consecrated iron rounds, and yeah it's what Dad used last time," Dean replied.

I glanced at Michael and saw he was staring at the laptop. "Hey, it's gonna be okay," I said to him softly. He gave a small nod but didn't took his eyes off from his younger brother. "Do you think Emma will be okay?" He asked suddenly, looking at me.

Me and my brothers looked at the kid. "We hope so," Sam said gently. He gave a small nod and glanced back to the laptop. "I should've protected her," He said quietly. I looked at him sadly and placed my arm around him gently, feeling my brothers looking at me and I knew they felt the same like Michael. I don't blame them, it wasn't their fault.

"Wait, look," Dean spoke after a moment. We all looked towards the screen where a movement was seen outside the window. It slid open, revealing a dark figure behind it. Sam, Dean and I pulled out our guns as the shtriga entered Asher's room.

"Now?" I asked. "Not yet," Dean said. I watched as the shtriga moved closer and lent over Asher. Michael tensed and I placed my hand on his shoulder. Asher looked terrified, frozen. It lent in closer.

"Come on, come on," Dean whispered and we all rushed to Asher's room. We brushed through the door with the guns raised, seeing the shtriga began to take Asher's life force. "Hey!" Sam yelled, grabbing the shtriga's attention.

"Asher, down!" I yelled as Michael ran to his brother and he rolled him off the bed. As soon as the kids were under the bed, we opened fire, shooting the shtriga multiple times each. It fell to the floor and the room fell into silence.

"Mike, Ash, you guys all right?" I asked. "Yeah," Michael called from their place under the bed. "Just sit tight," Dean said and started to approach the shtriga, gun at the ready. There was no movement. He relaxed slightly and glanced at me and Sam. The shtriga suddenly jumped to it's feet, grabbing Dean by the throat. "Dean!" Sam and I yelled at the same time and the shtriga threw Dean against the wall.

The shtriga moved and threw Sam and me to the wall. I hit the ground, and the shtriga moved on top of me and forced my mouth open. I struggled to reach my gun but sopped when the shtriga started drawing my energy.

"Hey!" I heard Sam yelling. The shtriga stopped, looking up and he was shot between the eyes. He fell backwards and I gasped for breath. I glanced behind me and saw Sam with his gun pointing.

"You okay little sis?" Dean asked. I gave a small nod and they both got to their feet. Dean pulled me up to my feet and the three of us looked at the shtriga. The energy the shtriga stole started to escape from it's mouth. Dean and Sam raised their guns, shooting it few more times at point blank range and more energy escaped. The shtriga fell in on itself, disintegrating.

Michael and Asher both peeked from the side of the bed. "It's okay, guys, you can come on out," Dean said. The two brothers came out and stood beside us, smiling tentatively. Dean placed his hand on Michael's shoulder and smiled. Asher and Michael both wrapped their arms around my waist and I wrapped my arms around them.

...

It was morning when me and my brothers were packing the Impala, ready to head out. The boys's Mom came out of the back of reception. "Hey, Joanna. How's Emma doing?" Dean asked once he saw her.

"Have you seen Michael and Asher?" She asked. Just then, Michael and Asher ran over, "Mom! Mom!" She smiled as she hugged them. "Hey!" They pulled away. "How's Em?" Michael asked.

"Got some good news. Your sister's gonna fine," She said. "Really?" Asher asked and the brothers shred a grin. "Yeah. Really. No one can explain it - it's a miracle," Joanna said. Me and my brothers glanced towards each other, smiling slightly. She turned to us, "They're going to keep her in overnight for observation and then she's coming home."

"That's great," Dean said as I stood beside Michael and Asher. "How are all the other kids doing?" I asked. "Good. Real good. A bunch of them should be checking out in a few days. Dr. Travis says the ward's going to be like a ghost town," She explained.

"Dr. Travis? What about Dr. Hydecker?" Sam asked. "Oh he wasn't in today. Must have been sick or something," She replied. "Yeah. Yeah must have," Dean said.

"So, did anything happen while I was gone?" Joanna asked her boys, running a hand through Asher's hair. Michael glanced at Dean slightly before back at his mother, "Nah, same old stuff." Asher nodded, "Yeah."

"Okay. You can go see Emma," She said. "Now?" Both Michael and Asher asked at the same time, excitedly. "Only if you want to," Joanna said, smiling. Both of the boys looked at Dean, who nodded slightly. Both of the kids hugged me quickly and then they took off running to the car.

Joanna laughed and looked at me and my brothers, "I, ah, I'd better get going before they hotwires the car and drives themselves.

Smiling goodbye, she turned and walked to the car. We turned back to the Impala and Dean slammed the trunk shut as Sam said, "It's too bad." He walked to the passenger door.

"Oh, they'll be fine," Dean said as he walked to the driver door and I walked to the back. "That's not what I meant. I meant Michael and Asher. They'll always know there are things out there in the dark - they'll never be the same, you know?" Sam said.

The three of us watched Joanna, Asher and Michael driving away. "There is something in common between me and Emma," I stated, smiling at the thought. Sam and Dean looked at me, "What's that?" Sam asked.

I looked between the two, smiling, "We both have two big protective brothers that we love," I said. They both smiled and I climbed into the back seat and the two followed to their seats. Dean started the engine and pulled out of the motel car park, back onto the freeway.


	66. 19-1 Provenance

Sam and I were sitting at a table, papers strewn at the table, searching for a case. Dean was leaning against the bar with a young woman and laughing.

I smirked and shook my head. "Hey," Sam said and I looked at him. He showed me an article and I took it. A couple had their throats slit in their home.

Sam looked up and gestured to Dean to come over but he gave him a 'wait' gesture as he laughed at something the woman whispered. Sam gestured again and Dean's smile dropped. He said something to the woman before he made his way over with two beers.

"All right, I think we got something," Sam said. "Oh yeah, me too," Dean agreed before glancing back at the bar and then at us, "I think we need to take a little shore leave, just a little bit. What do you think, huh? I'm so in the door with this one."

"So what are we today, Dean? I mean, are we rock stars, are we army rangers?" I asked. "Reality TV scouts, looking for people with special skills," Dean said and the three of us laughed. "I mean hey, it's not that far off right?" He looked at Sam, "By the way, she's got a friend over there. Possibly hook you up. What do you think?"

Sam shook his head, "Dean, no thanks, I can get my own dates," He said. "Yeah you can but you don't," Dean said. Sam put down the article as he looked at our older brother, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Dean stared at him for a moment, "Nothing. What you got?" He asked. "Mark and Ann Telesca of New Paltz, New York were both found dead in their own home, a few days ago. Throats were slit. There were no prints, no murder weapons, all . . . " Sam started to explained but Dean got distracted as woman walked passed him, checking them out.

"Dean," I said, causing him to look back at to us, "No prints, no murder weapons, all doors and window locked from the inside."

Dean nodded and took a drink from his beer, "Could just be a garden variety murder you know, not our department," He said. "No. Dad says different," I said.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked and I showed them the journal, "Dad noted three murders in the same area of upstate New York. First one here in 1912, second one right here in 1945, and the third in 1970, the same M.O. as the Telescas. Their throats were slit, doors were locked from the inside. Now so much time had passed between murders that nobody checked the pattern, except Dad. He kept his eyes peeled for another one."

"And now we got one," Dean said. "Exactly," Sam said. "All right, I'm with ya. It's worth checking out. We can't pick this up til first thing though right?" Dean asked. "Yeah," I said, frowning.

"Good," He said as he grabbed his beer and headed to the bar. "Dean . . ." Sam started but stopped. "Ladies . . . Did you miss me?" Dean asked the girls. "I'm just kidding. Listen, I talked to my producer, and it is looking good."

"Great. Cool," One of the girls said. Sam and I chuckled and looked at each other, shaking our heads.

...

It was early in the morning when Sam and I left Dean asleep in the passenger seat of the Impala while we checked for EMF. After we finished, we went back to the car and noticed that Dean was still asleep, sunglasses on.

I looked at my big brother and smirked before rushing to the driver door. I lean in and honked the horn. Dean jumped a foot awake, making me and Sam laughed. I climbed into the driver seat and Sam climbed to the back seat, both of us were still laughing.

"Man, that is so not cool," Dean mumbled, adjusting his sunglasses. "We just swept the Telescas with EMF. It's clean," Sam explained as he lean forward and Dean took off his sunglasses. "And last night, while you were . . . well . . . out . . ."

"Good times," Dean said, smirking. "We checked the history of the house. Nothing strange about the Telescas," I said. "All right, so if it's not the people and it's not the house, then maybe it's the contents. Cursed object or something," Dean said.

"The house is clean," Sam said. "Yeah I know, you said that," Dean said. "No, we mean it's empty," I said and he looked between me and Sam. "No furniture, nothing." Dean frowned, "Where's all their stuff?"

I pulled into a parking space in front of the auction house and me and my brothers climbed out. I glanced around at the line of expensive cars before we went inside. I instantly felt under dressed; everyone around us were in posh, formal clothing while we were in our casual, rough clothing.

Dean snatched food from a tray, "Consignment auctions, estate sales. Looks like a garage sale for Wasps if you ask me," He said quietly and snatched more food from the tray on the table.

"Can I help you gentlemen and ma'am?" A voice asked from behind us and we spun around to see an older man in a suit. Dean looked him up and down as he stuffed the food into his mouth, "I'd like some champagne please," He said with a posh voice.

I fought a smile and Sam glanced at him. "He's not a waiter," Sam told him. Dean looked a bit surprised, looking at the man. Sam hold his hand out to the man, "I'm Sam Connors." The man just looked down at it and then at him, not moving.

Sam moved his hand and gestured to me and Dean, "These are my siblings, Dean and Scarlett. We're art dealers, with Connors Limited."

"You are art dealers," The man said, smiling slightly. "That's right," I said, nodding slightly. "I'm Daniel Blake, this is my auction house," The man replied. "Now gentlemen, ma'am, this is a private showing, and I don't remember seeing you on the guest list."

Sam smiled, giving a small nervous chuckle and we both glanced at each other. "We're there chuckles, you just need to take another look," Dean said and Sam glared at him.

A waiter walked past with champagnes on a tray. "Oh. Finally," Dean said as he snatched one. He turned back to Mr. Blake, sniffing the glass and raised his eyebrows before turning around and walking away. Sam and I hastily followed as Sam was shooting Dean dirty looks.

We began to check out the items for auction when I spotted an old painting of a family. My brothers walked over and stood beside me, examining the painting as well. The old painting was shown as parents, two boys and a little girl. They were straight faced and staring directly at us, wearing posh clothing of black and white.

"I fine example of American Primitive wouldn't you say?" A woman's voice said. We turned to see a sleek, classy, extremely good looking young woman in a black dress coming down a spiral staircase. Both my brothers stared at her as she turned her back while taking the final part of the stairs and I turned my gaze back to the painting.

Sam turned back to look at the painting as well and Dean, oogling, slapped Sam on the back and continued staring. Sam and I turned around and saw the woman walking up to us as Sam spoke, "Well I'd say it's more Grant Wood than Grandma Moses." The woman looked down, smiling. "But you knew that, you just wanted to see if I did," Sam said.

"Guilty," She said, looking at him and he smiled. "And clumsy. I apologize. I'm Sarah Blake," She introduced herself, holding her hand. "I'm Sam," Sam introduced himself, shaking her hand and then pointed at me, "This is my sister, Scarlett." Sarah and I shook hands, smiling. "Nick to meet you," She said. "You too," I said. Sam pointed at Dean, "And this is my . . ." We saw Dean showing food into his mouth, "Brother, Dean."

"Dean. Can we get you some more mini-quiche?" Sarah asked. "I'm good, thanks," Dean replied with his mouth full. She looked back at Sam, "So, can I help you with something?"

"Yeah, actually. What can you tell us about the Telesca estate?" Sam asked. "The whole thing's pretty grisly if you ask me, selling your things this soon. But Dad's right about one thing, sensationalism brings out the crowds. Even the rich ones," Sarah said, looking at Sam.

I glanced at Sam, who smiled at Sarah. I tried to fight back a smile, it was so obvious that they like each other. "Is it possible to see the provenances?" Sam asked. She was about to answer when her father came behind her and stood beside her, "I'm afraid there isn't any chance of that."

"Um, why not?" I asked. "You're not on the guest list," Mr. Blake said and shifted his gaze to Dean, "And I think it's time to leave."

"Well we don't have to be told twice," Dean said, putting on his posh voice again. "Apparently you do," Mr. Blake said. "Okay. It's all right. We don't want any trouble. We'll go," Sam said gently.

Dean raised his eyebrows and walked off. I glanced at Sam and saw he exchanged a look with Sarah before wrapping his arm around my shoulder and leading me out.

... ...

It didn't take up long to find a motel and get a room. We grabbed our bags from the trunk and made our way to our room. "Grant Wood, Grandma Moses?" Dean asked. "Art history course," Sam explained as we stopped at our door. "It's good for meeting girls."

"It's like I don't even know you," Dean joked as he unlocked the door and we walked inside before stopping and looking at the room. The room was silver, white and black, themed to the 70's. There was two beds and no couch.

"Huh," We said and moved into the room, dumping our bags onto the beds. I threw my bag onto one of the beds and Sam threw his bag into the same bed as well.

"What was . . . providence?" Dean asked as we started to unpack. "Prov-e-nance," Sam corrected. Dean mouthed the word and then shrugged. "It's a certificate of origin, like a biography. You know we can use them to check the history of the pieces, see if any of them have a freaky past."

"Huh. Well, we're not getting anything out of chuckles, but Sarah . . ." Dean said, snapping his fingers and pointed at Sam, smirking.

"Yeah, maybe you can get her to write it all down on a cocktail napkin," Sam said. Dean laughed, "Not me." Sam laughed slightly, "No, no, no, pick ups are your thing Dean."

"It wasn't his butt she was checking out," I said, smirking and Dean smirked back. Sam looked at both of us, "In other words, you want me to use her to get information."

"Sometimes you gotta take one for the team," Dean said as I grabbed my phone and then hold it out to Sam, "Call her."

... ...

After a few hours, Sam came back from his 'date' with Sarah and he seemed happier, guess the date went well. Dean was sharpening his knife, sitting on the bed while I sat at the table with Sam, who was flipping through some papers.

"So she just handed the providences over to you?" Dean asked. "Provenances," I corrected, smirking. "Provenances? Pro-pr," Dean stuttered.

"Yes. We went back to her place, I got a copy of the papers . . ." Sam said. "And?" Dean and I asked at the same time. "And nothing. That's it. I left," Sam explained.

"You didn't have to con her or do any . . . special favors or anything like that?" Dean asked and I rolled my eyes. "Dean, would you get your mind out of the gutter, please?" Sam asked, making our older brother to laugh.

"You know when this whole thing's done, we could stick around for a little bit," Dean said. "Why?" Sam asked. "So you could take her out again. It's obvious you're into her, even I could see that," Dean pointed out and I smirked, "Me too."

"Hey, I think I've got something here," Sam said, ignoring the comments and holding out the papers as Dean stood up and walked over, grabbing the papers. "Portrait of Isaiah Merchant's family, painted 1910," Dean read.

"Now compare the names of the owners with Dad's journal," Sam said. Dean walked around and sat in the other spare chair.

"First purchased in 1912," Dean read and Sam pointed at the journal as Dean read, "Peter Simms." Dean looked at the journal, "Peter Simms murdered 1912." Sam nodded as Dean looked between the journal and the papers, "Same thing in 1945. Oh, same thing in 1970."

"Then stored, until it was donated to a charity auction last month. Where the Telescas bought it. So what do you think, it's haunted? or cursed?" Sam asked. I shrugged, "Either way, it's toast."

... ...

It was midnight when we got to the auction house, wearing gloves. Dean quickly scaled the meters high gates, "Come on!" He whispered to me and Sam and took off running towards the building as Sam and I leaped over the gate and followed.

The house was locked down with a security alarm so Sam disarmed it carefully. "Go ahead," He said to Dean. He picked the lock to the front door and swung it open. We got to work fast and shined our flashlights around inside, quickly searching for the painting.

I looked all over and spotted it upstairs. I sprint up the spiral staircase with my brothers following behind. We reached to the painting. I hold my flashlight in my mouth before flicking my switchblade and cut the painting from it's frame. Sam pulled it out and rolled it up.

... ...

We left quickly and drove away, stopped at the side of the road to get rid of the painting. Dean threw it to the dirt as Sam hold his flashlight on it and I pulled a match. "Ugly ass thing. If you ask me we're doing the art world a favor," Dean comment and I dropped the match. The painting ignited, melting into nothing.


	67. 19-2 Not Gone Yet

We were back at the motel room after last night we got rid of the painting. Sam and I were packing our things as Dean came rushing out the bathroom, "We got a problem - I can't find my wallet."

"How is that our problem?" Sam asked. "'Cause I think I dropped it in the warehouse last night," Dean said, running across the room for his jacket. Sam and I stopped to look at him. "You're kidding, right?" I said.

"No. It's got my prints, my ID, well my fake ID anyway," Dean said as he put his jacket on and he looked at us, "We gotta get it before someone else finds it. Come on." Sam and I exchanged a look before we grabbed our jackets and followed Dean.

We got to the auction house and once inside, we split up and rushed around, searching every spot to find Dean's wallet. "How do you lose your wallet, Dean?" Sam whispered, frustrating.

Dean threw his hands up in the air as he kept looking. "Hey guys!" A voice said from behind and the three of us spun around to see Sarah smiling at us. We shifted to act natural. "Sarah! Hey," Sam said, giving her a smile.

"What are you doing here?" Sarah asked. "Ahh, we . . ." Sam started as he glanced between Dean and I before back at Sarah, "We are leaving town and, you know, we came to say goodbye."

Dean strolled over, smirking, "What are you talking about Sam, we're sticking around for at least another day or two." Both Sam and I looked at our brother confused. "Oh, Sam," Dean started as his hand went into his pocket, "By the way." He pulled out his wallet and my eyes grow wide. "I'm gonna go ahead and give you that $20 I owe you." He looked at Sarah, "I always forget, you know."

He pulled out cash and hold it to Sam, smiling, "There you go." Sam snatched the cash from him, glaring at him. Dean turned back to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder before looking back at Sarah, "Well, we'll leave you two crazy kids alone, we gotta go do something . . . somewhere."

With that, he dragged me away. We went to the Impala and I smirked at Dean, "Well, well, big brother. What's up with that thing with Sarah and Sam? You trying to get him laid?" Dean laughed, "That's right," He said and I laughed, shaking my head as we walked out of the building.

Dean and I leaned against the Impala, waiting for Sam. Soon, Sam came out and rushed over to us, looking slightly freaking out. "Wow, what's wrong with you?" I asked, smirking. Dean laughed but Sam gave both of us a look. "We have a problem."

Both Dean and I looked at him with a frown. "What is it now?" Dean asked. "The painting is still here," Sam replied. My eyes grow wide. "What?" Both Dean and I asked at the same time. "Yeah," Sam said and we climbed into the car.

Sam sighed, "I don't understand, guys, we burned the damn thing," He said. "Yeah, thank you Captain Obvious. All right, we just need to figure out another way to get rid of it," Dean said and looked between me and Sam, "Any ideas?"

"Okay, all right. In almost all the lore about haunted paintings it's always the painting's subject that haunts 'em," I explained. "Yeah. So we just need to figure out everything there is to know about that creepy-ass family and that creepy-ass painting," Dean said and looked at our brother, "What were their names again?"

We decided to go to a book shop and found a second hand book shop. The proprietor was more than happy to help us. Sam and I stood beside each other in front of a table while he came over with books in his arms.

"You said the Isaiah Merchant family right?" He asked as he put the books on the table. "Yeah that's right," Sam said. Dean approached us, smiling and flicking through an old book with pictures of guns.

The man laid a huge book of newspaper clippings the table, "I dug up every scrap of local history I could find. So are you guys crime buffs?"

Dean sat down on the edge of the table, "Kinda. Yeah. Why do you ask?" He asked. "Well . . ." The man hold up a newspaper article and he pointed at a side article. It read 'Father Slaughters Family, Kills Himself'.

"Yes. Yeah, that sounds about right," Dean said. "The whole family was killed?" I asked with a frown. "It seems this Isaiah, he slits his kids' throats, then his wife, then himself. Now he was a barber by trade. Used a straight razor," The man explained.

"Why'd he do it?" Sam asked. "Let's look," The man said as he flipped the newspaper around to face it, "Ahh . . . "People who knew him describe Isaiah as having a stern and harsh temperament. Controlled his family with an iron fist. Wife, uh, two sons, adopted daughter . . ." He skimmed across the page, "Yeah, yeah, yeah . . . "There were whispers that the wife was gonna take the kids and leave." Which of course you know in that day and age, um . . . so instead, old man Isaiah . . . well he gave them all a shave." He draw his hand across his throat with appropriate noises, laughing. Dean joined in but stopped when Sam gave him bitchface and I glared at him with a raised eyebrow.

Dean looked back at the man, "Does it say what happened to the bodies?" He asked. "Just that they were all cremated," He replied. I shared a look with my brothers.

"Anything else?" Sam asked the man. "Yeah. Actually -" He replied as he grabbed another book, "I found a picture of the family. It's right here . . . somewhere. Right - here it is." He turned the book around to show us. It was a picture of the painting.

We studied it for a moment, it was the same. But the different was that the Dad was looking up but I remember that the Dad was looking down when I first saw the painting. I glanced at Sam and we both shred the same look before I looked back at the man. "Hey, could we get a copy of this please?" I asked him. "Sure."

... ...

We went back to our motel room and sat down at the table near the window. "I'm telling you man, the painting at the auction house, Dad is looking down," Sam said and showed the picture to Dean. "Painting here, Dad's looking out. The painting has changed, Dean," I added.

"All right, so you guys think that Daddy dearest is trapped in the painting and is handing out Columbian neckties like he did with his family?" Dean asked. "Yeah, it seems like it," I said. "But if his bones are already dusted then how are we gonna stop him?" Sam asked.

Dean picked up the picture and studied it, "All right, well, if Isaiah's position changed then maybe some other things in the painting changed as well. You know it could give us some clues."

"What, like a Da Vinci Code deal?" I asked. Dean looked at me with a totally blank look, "I don't . . . know. Uhh . . . I'm still waiting for the movie on that one." He started to get up, "Anyway, we gotta get back in and see that painting." He walked to the bed, "Which is a good thing cause you can get some more time to crush on your girlfriend."

"Dude," Sam started as Dean threw himself onto his bed and crossed his arms . "Enough already."

"What?" Dean asked. "What? Ever since we got here, you been trying to pimp me out to Sarah. Just back off, all right?" Sam said. "Well, you like her don't you?" Dean asked. Sam threw his arms and looked to the ceiling. "All right, you like her, she likes you, you're both consenting adults . . ."

"What's the point, Dean? We'll just leave. We always leave, Sam raised his voice, frustrated. "Well I'm not talking about marriage, Sam," Dean said. "You know, I don't get it. What do you care if I hook up?" Sam asked.

"Cause then maybe you wouldn't be so cranky all the time," Dean said. Sam stared at him, then huffed out a breath as he looked away. Dean sat up on the bed, "You know, seriously Sam, this isn't about just hooking up, okay? I mean, I, I think that this Sarah girl could be good for you."

Sam sighed and scratched his head as Dean and I watched closely. "I don't mean any disrespect but I'm sure this is about Jessica, right? Now I don't know what it's like to lose somebody like that . . . but . . . I would think that she would want you to be happy," I said softly.

I watched Sam as he was quiet and listened to what I was saying with tears in his eyes. "God forbid have fun once in a while. Wouldn't she?" I said. He smiled slightly but it slightly faded, "Yeah I know she would," He agreed softly. Then he sighed heavily, "Yeah you're right. Part of this is about Jessica. But not the main part."

"What's it about?" Dean asked but Sam didn't answered. "Yeah all right." Dean led back again and crossed his arms, "Well we still gotta see that painting, which means you still gotta call Sarah, so . . ." Sam picked up his phone.

Dean shook his head and closed his eyes, settling in. I got up from my place at the table and walked over to the bed. I laid down on Dean's chest and he wrapped an arm around me.

"Sarah, hey, it's Sam," Sam started when Sarah picked up. "Hey, hi. Good. Good, yeah. Umm. What about you?" Dean and I watched our brother. "Yeah good, good, really good," Sam repeated awkwardly.

"Smooth . . ." Dean whispered and Sam glared at him. "So, ah, so listen. Me and my siblings, were . . . uh . . ." Sam said as Dean shook his head and we both closed our eyes, "Thinking that maybe we'd like to come back in and look at the painting again. I . . . I think maybe we are interested in buying it."

He frowned. "What?" He asked as he stood up. Both Dean and I sat up, watching him. "Who'd you sell it to?" Sam asked. "Sarah I need an address right now."

... ...

The Impala pulled up at the mansion and we jumped out. A car was already in the driveway and Sarah appeared from behind it. "Sam what's happening?"

"I told you, you shouldn't have come," Sam said calmly as he rushed past her. Dean and I joined him and we ran up the stairs to the front porch. Dean started banging on the door. "Hello, anyone home?"

I started looking around for another way in as I noticed of the complete silence at the house. "You said Evelyn might be in danger, what sort of danger?" Sarah asked.

"I can't knock this sucker down. I gotta pick it," Dean said. He started to pick the lock as Sam ran over to one of the windows that was covered with metal security bars and started banging on them.

"What are you guys, burglars?" Sarah asked and then walked over to Sam. "I wish it was that simple," I said and Sam walked over to me and Dean as he spoke, "Look you really should wait in the car. It's for your own good."

Dean got the door opened and Sam and I quickly followed him inside. "The hell I will. Evelyn's a friend," Sarah called as she ran in after us. "Evelyn?"

"Evelyn," Dean called. "Evelyn," I called as we entered the main room. As we walked in, we could see Evelyn sitting in an armchair, half turned away from us. The painting was hanging above the fireplace and I saw that it had changed, Isaiah now looked at his daughter rather than straight ahead.

"Evelyn? It's Sarah Blake . . . Are you all right?" Sarah asked as she walked forward. She reached her hand out to touch Evelyn's shoulder. "Sarah don't. Sarah!" I said.

Evelyn's head tipped back, exposing her slashed throat. Sarah screamed, falling back into Sam's arms. We looked back up at the painting to see the father staring right at us. "Oh my God. Oh My God!" Sarah said. Sam pulled her tighter into his arms and shepherd her out of the room.

"Out, out," Dean said to me as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the house with Sam and Sarah.


	68. 19-3 Truth

It was morning, Dean was sitting at the bar with the laptop, Sam was pacing around the room and I was sitting on one of the beds.

Last night, Sarah was completely freaking out and we convinced her to lie. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, making us all to look at it. Sam went over to the door and opened it. "Hey," He said but Sarah stormed past him into the room.

"You all right?" He asked as he closed the door. She turned to him, "No, actually, I just lied to the cops and told them I went to Evelyn's, alone, and found her like that." Dean looked at me and smirked while Sam and I were relieved.

"Hey, thanks," I said. She turned to me, "Don't thank me." She looked back at Sam, "I'm about to call them right back if you don't tell me what the hell's going on." She looked at all of us, "Who's killing these people?"

Sam looked at Dean over his shoulder then looked at me before back at Sarah, " _What_ ," He corrected. "What?" She asked. "It's not 'who'. It's 'what' is killing those people," He replied but she looked at him like he was insane.

"Sarah, you saw that painting move," I said gently. She gave a small chuckle and turned her back at us, "No . . . no I was . . . I was seeing things. It's impossible." She turned back to us.

"Yeah well, welcome to our world," Dean said. "Sarah, I know this sounds crazy . . . but we think that that painting is haunted," Sam said. She snickered but with tears in her eyes before looking back at us, "You're joking." We stared at her and her face fell, "You're not joking. God, the guys I go out with."

"Sarah, think about it. Evelyn, the Telesca's, they both had the painting. And there have been others before that. Wherever this thing goes people die. And we're just trying to stop it. And that's the truth," Sam explained.

She looked at him, "Then I guess you'd better show me. I'm coming with you," She said. "What? No. Sarah no, you should just go home," Sam said. "This stuff can get dangerous and . . . and I don't want you to get hurt."

"Look, you guys are probably crazy, but if you're right about this? Well me and my Dad sold that painting that mighta got these people killed. Look I'm not saying I'm not scared because I am scared as hell but . . . I'm not going to run and hide either," Sarah said and walked to the door. She opened the front door and turned to us, "So are we going or what?" With that she walked out.

Dean and I looked at each other and started to smirk. We looked at our brother as I stood up and walked over to Dean. "Sam?" Dean said. He looked at him and then at me. I pointed at the door, "Marry that girl, I want her as my Sister-In-Law."

... ...

We went back to Evelyn's house. It was taped off with the yellow crime tape but we just ducked under it and walked up the porch stairs.

I started to pick the lock. "Ahhh . . . isn't this a crime scene?" Sarah asked. "You've already lied to the cops. What's another infraction?" Dean asked. "Done," I said as Dean pulled out his pocket knife and slicked the tape on the door.

We walked inside and walked to the living room. Sam carefully lifted the painting off the wall and placed it on the couch, then he started examining it.

"Aren't you worried that it's . . . gonna kill us?" Sarah asked after a moment. "Nah, it seems to do it's thing at night. I think we're all right in the daylight," Sam said as Dean pulled out the piece of the paper with the picture on it and he compared them. "Guys, check it out. The razor." He turned the picture to us, "It's closed in this one." I took the paper as he pointed at the painting, "But it's open in that one."

"What are you guys looking for?" Sarah asked as Sam and I studied the paper and the painting. "Well if the spirit's changing aspects of the painting then it's doing so for a reason," Dean explained.

"Hey, hey, look at this. The painting in the painting," Sam said, pointing at the painting. We all looked and saw a different image to the one we had.

"Looks like a crypt, or a mausoleum or something," Dean said. I frowned as I saw something writing on the top of the building but it was too hard to make out.

I looked around, grabbing a thick glass ashtray and used it as a magnifying glass. "Merchant," I read and then looked up at my brothers.

... ...

After a little while, Dean and I walked in front of Sam and Sarah as we made our way through the graveyard, "This is the third boneyard we've checked," I said. "I think this ghost is jerking us around," Dean added.

I sighed as I looked around. "Over there," Dean said and we all looked up to see the mausoleum. "It's about time," I said and he smirked.

We all walked up to it and Dean broke the lock. We entered, pushing aside the cobwebs that blocked the doorway. There was a number of name plates as well as four urns in front of little glass fronted boxes.

Sarah looked into one of the cases at a doll, "Okay, that right there - is the creepiest things I've ever seen," She said. "It was a . . . sort of tradition at the time. Whenever a child died sometimes they'd preserve the kid's favorite toy in a glass case, put it next to the headstone or crypt," I explained.

Suddenly a wind blow in. "Notice anything strange here?" Dean asked. "Ah . . . where do I start?" Sarah joked, making Sam to smile a little. "No, that's not what I mean. Look at the urns," Dean said.

"Yeah. There are only four," Sam said. "Yeah, Mom and the three kids. Daddy dearest isn't here," Dean said. "So where is he?" I asked, looking at my brothers.


	69. 19-4 The Doll

Leaning against the door outside the office building with my arms crossed, I watched Sam and Sarah talking with each other while we were waiting for Dean to come out. I smirked, "Come on, why they so slow with this?" I asked myself.

After a moment, there was a knock behind me on the glass door. I stepped away, turning around to see Dean. He walked out the door, "What's up?" He asked, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and we walked towards Sam and Sarah.

"Are we interrupting something?" Dean asked as we looked between them. "No," Sam replied. "Not at all," Sarah said. "Huh. Apparently," I said. "So, what'd you get?" Sam asked our brother.

"Paydirt," Dean started as he pulled out a rolling paper and he un-wrapped his arm from my shoulder. "Apparently the surviving relatives of the Merchant family were so ashamed of Isaiah that they didn't want him interred with the rest of the family. So, they handed him over to the county, the county gave him a pauper's funeral. Economy style. Turns out he wasn't cremated; he was buried in a pine box."

"So there are bones to burn," I said, smiling slightly. "There are bones to burn," Dean confirmed, smirking. Sam and I exchanged a glance before looking back at Dean as Sam spoke, "Tell me you know where." Which Dean grinned as he glanced at each of us.

... ...

It was night time when we got to the graveyard and found Isaiah's headstone. Sam, Dean and I were digging while Sarah was holding the flashlight on us.

After a little while, Sam crawled out of the grave with a groan and stood beside Sarah, panting while Dean and I continued digging.

"You guys seem to be uncomfortably comfortable with this," Sarah spoke. "Well, ah, this isn't exactly the first grave we've dug," Sam said. "Still think I'm a catch?"

"If she thinks you're a catch, then something's wrong with her eyes," I joked, stopping digging and smirked up at my big brother. He gave me a playfully look while Sarah gave a small chuckle and Dean laughed.

"That was good," Dean said before we both continued to dig. A few moments after, his shovel hit something hard and he tapped it a few times, "Think we've got something."

Dean and I cracked open the coffin lid to reveal a dusty skeleton. "Hello, Isaiah," I said. Dean and I placed our shovels beside Sam and then Dean pulled himself out of the grave before he and Sam hold their hands out to me and pulled me out.

Dean grabbed the duffel bag that was beside Sarah and pulled out a can of salt and kerosene. Sam grabbed the kerosene and they started to pour it over the body while Sarah and I stood at the side and watched.

Then, once my brothers finished, they came to stand beside us. "You've been a real pain in the ass Isaiah," Dean said and he strike a match, "Good riddance." He tossed the match in, and we watched it burn.

... ...

Dean pulled up at Evelyn's house again. "Keep the motor running," Sam said and he opened the passenger door. "I thought the painting was harmless now?" Sarah asked from her place beside me in the back seat.

Sam turned slightly, "Better safe than sorry. We're gonna bury the sucker," He replied. "I'm gonna go with you," She said. "You sure?" Sam asked as she started climbing out.

"Yeah," She said and Dean and I smirked at each other before looking back. Sarah walked to the house and Dean stopped Sam, "Hey! hey, hey," He whispered. "Scar and I will stay here, you go make your move."

Sam scoffed and climbed out of the car. "Sam. I'm serious!" Dean said and Sam closed the door. Dean turned to me, grinning, "Watch this." As Sarah and Sam moved up the stairs, Dean turned on the radio. A love ballad was heard and I giggled, covering my mouth with my hand.

Grimacing, Sam turned around and gave Dean a 'wtf' gesture. Dean made a 'what?' gesture, Sam motioned him to cut off the music and I smirked. Sighing, Dean turned it off.

Sam opened the door and they walked in. I sighed as I lean back, "They are so so slow," I complained. "Tell me about it," Dean murmured. I frowned when I glanced at the open front door and suddenly the wind blow, shutting the door. "Dean!" I called and we both climbed out the car quickly.

We ran up the stairs and Dean started shoving at the door but nothing. "Dean! Scarlett! Hey!" Sam yelled from inside. "Sammy, you all right?" Dean called and suddenly my phone rang. It was Sam.

I answered it and put it on speaker, "Tell me you slammed the front door," I said. " _No, it wasn't me. I think it was the little girl_ ," He replied. "Girl? What girl?" Dean asked as he tried to pick the lock.

" _Yeah she's out of the painting. I think it might've been her all along_ ," Sam said. "Wasn't the Dad looking down at her? Maybe he was trying to warn us," I said. " _Hey, hey, hey, let's recap later all right? Just get us out of here_ ," Sam said.

"Well I'm trying to pick the lock, the door won't budge," Dean said. " _Well, knock it down_ ," Sam said. "Okay genius, let me just grab my battering ram," Dean snapped. " _Dean, the damn thing is coming_ ," Sam snapped.

"Well you're just gonna have to hold it off until we figure something out. Get some salt or iron," Dean said. " _Come on_ ," We heard Sam saying to Sarah.

" _What kind of house doesn't have salt? Low-sodium freaks. Hey, d'you find any iron?_ "

" _No. What's it for?_ "

" _Iron repels evil spirits but it's gotta be pure. Hurry. Uh, Guys, give me a sec, don't go anywhere._ "

Dean and I were walking the front porch, looking for entrances. Suddenly, we heard through the phone slamming and soon everything stopped, "Sammy, you okay?" I asked, worried.

" _Yeah, for now_ ," He replied. "How we gonna waste her?" Dean asked about the little girl. " _I don't know, she was already cremated. There's nothing left to burn_ ," Sam said.

"Then how's she still around?" I asked, frowning. " _There must be something else_ ," He said. " _Sam wait. We used to handle antique dolls at the auction_ ," Sarah spoke up.

" _Well that's fascinating Sarah but is it important right now?_ " Sam asked. " _Well back then they use to make the dolls in the kids image, I mean everything, they would use the kid's real hair_ ," She said.

" _Guys, Sarah said the doll might have the kid's real hair. Human remains, same as bones_ ," Sam said. Dean and I exchanged a look and the three of us spoke, "The Mausoleum!" I hang up and Dean and I rushed to the car. We climbed in and drive to the graveyard.

We got to the graveyard, driving through the locked gates. Dean screeched the Impala to a halt and we rushed out of the car, running into the mausoleum. Dean pounded at the glass container, where the girl's doll was. "Move," I said and when he went behind me, I pulled out my gun and shoot the glass, lifting my other arm to protect my face. Dean pulled out his gun and used it to knock out the rest of the glass until he could grab the doll.

I pulled out my lighter, and I hold it under the doll's hair. It started to smoke and then to burn. Dean dropped the doll on the floor of the mausoleum and we watched it burn. I pulled out my phone and dialed Sam's number.

After two rings, he answered. "Sam, you okay?" I asked. " _Not bad_ ," He replied, sighing. I sighed and hang up. "They fine," I said and Dean gave a nod. We gave the burning doll one last glance before we walked out.

...

It was morning, I was with Sam and Sarah at the auction house, watching the painting be crated up as Dean walked over. He hold up some papers, "This was archived in the county records. The Merchant's adopted daughter Melanie. Know why she was up for adoption? 'Cause her real family was murdered in their beds."

"She killed them?" Sarah asked. "Yeah. Who'd suspect her? Sweet little girl. So then she kills Isaiah and his family. The old man takes the blame. His spirit's been trying to warn people ever since," Dean explained.

"So where's this one go?" One of the workers asked Sarah. "Take it out back and burn it," She replied and we all looked at her. "I'm serious guys. Thanks," Sarah said. The two workers took the box with the painting inside and walked away.

"So why'd the girl do it?" Sarah asked. "Killing others? Killing herself? Some people are just born tortured," I said. "So when they die, their spirits are just as dark," Sam added. "Maybe," Dean said. "I don't really care. It's over, we move on."

"Ahh . . . I guess this means you're leaving," Sarah said, looking at Sam with sadness. I looked between then with sad eyes. I really like Sarah and I didn't want her and Sam to say goodbye.

"We'll go wait in the car," I said and Sam gave me a small smile. I linked my arm with my older brother and smiled softly at Sarah, "See you Sarah." She gave me and Dean a smile while Dean stood awkwardly for a second, looking at Sam, then nodded and he let me pull him away.

"It's not like we the ones that burned the doll, destroyed the spirit," Dean said, grumbling. I smirked, shaking my head as we got out.

We lean against the car and waited for Sammy. Soon, we watched Sarah letting Sam out and closed the door. I sighed sadly while Dean shook his head as we turned to climbed into the car.

We stopped and turned around when we heard a knock on the door. Sarah opened the door and smiled at Sam. He stepped over to her and pulled her to a kiss. I smiled, "Finally!" I called as Dean smiled. "That's my boy," He said before we climbed into the car while Sam and Sarah continued kissing in the doorway.


	70. 20-1 Dead Man's Blood

Me and my brothers were at a cafe store, sitting at a table. I was sitting with Sam on one side and Dean on the other. They were both searching for a case, Dean was flipping through a newspaper while Sam on his laptop. I gave a small yawn as I placed my hand over my mouth. Sam clicked his fingers in front of my face, "Hey, stay awake."

I glared at him, "If you would've let me sleep for more three hours," I stated. "Oh yeah? If that would have happened, you wouldn't wake up," He teased. I stared at him before I groaned and he smirked.

"But we had time for this," I whined. He laughed as he looked back at his laptop. Dean sighed, folding the paper, "Well dude. Not a decent lead in all of Nebraska. What've you got?"

"Well, I've been scanning Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota. Here. A woman in Iowa fell 10,000 feet from an airplane and survived," Sam read from an article.

"Sounds more like 'That's Incredible' than, uh, 'Twilight Zone'," I said. "Yeah," He agreed. "Hey, you know we could just keep heading east," Dean said, smirking. "New York. Upstate. We could drop by and see Sarah again. Huh? Cool chick man, smokin'." He whistle. "You two seemed pretty friendly. What do you say?"

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, I dunno, maybe someday. But in the meantime we got a lot of work to do Dean, and you know that," He said.

"Yeah all right," Dean said. "What else you got?" I asked. "Ahh, man in Colorado, local man named Daniel Elkins, was found mauled in his home," Sam said.

"Elkins? I know that name," Dean whispered, frowning. "Doesn't ring a bell," Sam said and looked at me. I shrugged, "I don't know."

"Sounds like the police don't know what to think. At first they said it was some sort of bear attack and now, they've found some signs of robbery," Sam said and we looked at Dean to see he was flicking through Dad's journal. "There, check it out," He said and turned the journal around for us.

"What is it?" I asked. Dean pointed at a page, ' _D Elkins 970-555-0158' Daniel Elkins_.'

Sam frowned, "You think it's the same Elkins?" He asked. "It's a Colorado area code," Dean replied.

... ...

It took us a while but by night time we got to Elkins cabin. Sam was picking at the lock while Dean and I hold our flashlights. Finally, the door slowly swung open, revealing a dark hallway. Sam stood up and pulled out his flashlight before we walked through the door.

Dean and I were walking around. The room was cluttered in papers and books. "Looks like the maid didn't come today," Dean said sarcastically.

"Hey, there's salt over here. Right beside the door," Sam called. "You mean protection against demon salt, or 'oops I spilled the popcorn' salt," I asked, flicking through Elkins journal.

"It's clearly a ring," Sam said. Soon he walked into the room, "You think this guy Elkins was a player?" I frowned as I read the journal.

"Definitely," I said as I felt my brothers both on my sides. "What you looking for?" Dean asked. "It's he's journal," I said. "That looks a hell of a lot like Dad's," Sam stated.

"Yep, except this dates back to the 60s," I replied. I closed the journal and my brothers started to move out the room. I grabbed the journal and put it on my inside pocket jacket before following my brothers.

We move into the other room and is was worse than the previous. A huge hole was in the roof, everything else in the room was destroyed.

"Whatever attacked him, it looks like there was more than one," Sam said. "Looks like he put up a hell of a fight too," I pointed out.

"Yeah," San and Dean agreed. We looked around the room and then Dean seemed to catch something as he crouched down to get a closer look. "You got something?" I asked and Sam and I walked over to him.

"I dunno. Some scratches on the floor," Dean replied. "Death throes maybe?" Sam asked. "Yeah, maybe," Dean said. He grabbed a page from a notebook and a pen off the desk. He placed it over the marks and rubbed the pencil over it to get an outline. He ripped it off the floor, "Or maybe a message."

I hold the paper up so I took it from him and looked at it, "Look familiar?" He asked. Sam moved to my side as I spoke, "Three letters, six digits. The location and combination of a post office box. It's a mail drop." I looked at Dean and he nodded, "Just the way Dad does it."

... ...

We went to the post office. We all looked around as Dean was opening Elkins box. He opened it and grabbed a letter. He stared at it and then showed it to us. It was a white letter with the initials _J.W._

Me and my brother sat in the Impala, thinking. "'J.W.' You think? John Winchester?" Sam asked. "I don't know," Dean said. "Should we open it?" I asked as I leaned over.

A loud knock made us all jump and looked at Dean's window only to be more shocked. Dad bend over the window, smiling at us. "Dad?" Dean asked.

Dad climbed in the back seat and sat with me. "Hey, kids," He said and I wrapped my arms around him. He hugged me tightly. "Dad, what are you doing here? Are you all right?" Sam asked as Dad and I broke the hug.

"Yeah, I'm ok. I read the news about Daniel, I got here as fast as I could. I saw you three at his place," Dad said. "Why didn't you come in Dad?" I asked softly.

"You know why, Princess," He spoke softly and looked between us. "Because I had to make sure you weren't followed . . . by anyone or anything. Nice job of covering your tracks by the way."

"Yeah, well, we learned from the best," Dean said, looking a little proud. "Wait, you came all the way out here for this Elkins guy?" Sam asked, surprised. "Yeah. He was . . . he was a good man. He taught me a hell of a lot about hunting," Dad replied, nodding slightly.

"You never mentioned him to us," I pointed out. "We had a . . . we had kind of a falling out. I hadn't seen him in years," He replied and after a moment, he pointed to the envelope, "I should look at that." Dean handed it to him and he opened it, "'If you're reading this, I'm already dead' . . . that son of a bitch."

"What is it?" I asked. "He had it the whole time," He said. "Dad, what?" Sam asked. "When you searched the place, did you, did you see a gun? An antique, a Colt revolver, did you see it?" Dad asked.

"Ah, there was, there was an old case but it was empty," Dean replied. "They have it," Dad said. "You mean whatever killed Elkins?" I asked. "We gotta pick up the trail," He said as he started climbing out. "Wait," Sam said and Dad bend down at Dean's window. "You want us to come with you?"

"If Elkins was telling the truth, we gotta find this gun," Dad said. "The gun - why?" Sam asked. "Because it's important, that's why," Dad said. "Dad, we don't even know what these things are yet," Sam said.

"They were what Daniel Elkins killed best: Vampires," Dad replied. My eyes grow wide and I grinned, "Vampires?! That is so cool! But I thought there was no such thing."

"You never even mentioned them, Dad," Sam said. "I thought they were extinct. I thought Elkins and - and others had wiped them out. I was wrong," Dad spoke softly. "Most vampire lore is crap. A cross won't repel them, sunlight won't kill them, and neither will a stake to the heart. But the bloodlust, that part's true. They need fresh human blood to survive. They were once people, so you won't know it's a vampire until it's too late."


	71. 20-2 Finding the Colt

"Scarlett," Dad called my name as he slapped my feet. "Sam." He slapped Sam's feet, who was sharing a bed with me. "Dean, let's go."

"Mm-hmm," I heard Dean humming and I felt Sam slowly sitting up but my eyes were close. "I picked up a police call," Dad said. "What happened?" Sam asked as he started shaking my shoulder gently.

"Five more minutes," I murmured as I turned around and my back was facing them. "A couple called 911, found a body in the street. Cops got there everyone was missing. It's the vampires," Dad said. "Baby, wake up." I sighed as I slowly opened my eyes to see Dad on my side of the bed.

I sat up, rubbing my eyes as Sam got up from the bed. "How do you know?" He asked. Dad started walking to the door, "Just follow me, okay?" With that he walked out. "Come on," Sam said to me, sighing and he walked across the room, putting his jacket on.

I sighed, "Why can't everything happen in the morning?" I asked as Dean gave a small chuckle. "Huh, vampires. Get's funnier every time I hear it."

...

It was early in the morning when we got to the scene. Dad was talking to a cop and soon started walking back to me and my brothers, who we were leaning against the Impala.

"I don't see why we couldn't have gone over with him," Sam said, slightly sulky. Dean and I glanced at each other before I shook my head, "Oh don't tell me it's already starting," Dean said.

"What's starting?" Sam asked, frowning. "What have you got?" I asked Dad. "It was them all right. Looks like they're heading west. We'll have to double back to get around that detour," He explained.

"How can you be so sure?" Sam asked. "Sam . . ." Dean warned. "I just wanna know we're going in the right direction," He said sharply before looking back at Dad.

"We are," Dad said. "How do you know?" Sam asked. Dad stared at him for a second before pulling something out of his pocket. He hold it to Dean and he took it, "I found this."

"It's a . . . a vampire fang," Dean said as I looked at it. It was a mall, pointy white tooth. "Not fangs, teeth. The second set decends when they attack," Dad explained before looking at Sam, "Any more questions?"

Sam looked away and stayed silent. "All right, let's get out of here, we're losing daylight," Dad said as he started walking to his truck. "Hey Dean, why don't you touch up your car before you get rust? I wouldn't have given you the damn thing if I thought you were going to ruin it."

Dean looked down at the Impala as Dad climbed into the truck. Sam looked at Dean with a 'told you so' look on his face before climbing into the driver seat. I sighed, "I knew it will happen." Dean looked at me and I shrugged before climbing into the back seat. Dean grimaced as he climbed into the passenger seat.

We followed Dad's truck as Dean was reading from a page, "Vampires nest in groups of eight to ten. Smaller packs are sent to hunt for food. Victims are taken to the nest where the pack keeps them alive, bleeding them for days or weeks." I leaned forward, frowning, "I wonder if that's what happened to that 911 couple."

Dean shrugged while Sam spoke, "That's probably what Dad's thinking. Course it would be nice if he just told us what he thinks." Dean glanced at him, "So it is starting." Sam looked at him and then back, "What?"

"Sam, we've been looking for Dad all year. Now we're not with him for more than a couple of hours and there's static already?" Dean asked. Sam scoffed, frowning, "No. Look, I'm happy he's okay, all right? And I'm happy that we're all working together again."

"Well good," Dean said. "It's just the way he treats us, like we're children," Sam said. "Oh God," Dean breathed out. "This isn't going to end well," I said quietly as I leaned back to my seat, yet my brothers heard me.

"He barks orders at us guys, he expects us to follow 'em without question. He keeps us on some crap need-to-know deal," Sam said. "He does what he does for a reason," Dean said.

"What reason?" Sam asked. "Our job! There's no time to argue, there's no margin for error, all right? That's just the way the old man runs things," Dean said.

"Yeah well maybe that worked when we were kids but not anymore, all right. Not after everything you, Scar and I have been through, Dean. I mean, are you telling me you're cool with just falling into line, and letting him run the whole show?" Sam asked and looked at Dean, challengingly.

Dean gave Sam a long look; weakly, as if he was convincing himself, "If that's what it takes." Sam shook his head in disbelief as he looked back to the road. I sighed, closing my eyes.

... ...

It was night time as we continued to drive along the road. Dean was on the phone with Dad while Sam was still driving. "Yeah Dad. All right, got it," Dean said before hanging up. "Pull off at the next exit."

"Why?" Sam asked, his tone was angry. "Cause Dad thinks we've got the vampire's trail," Dean replied. "How?" Sam asked, his tone was very angry.

Dean glanced at him before back at the road, "I don't know; he didn't say." Sam pressed on the gas, speeding the car down the road. My eyes grow wide while Dean looked at our brother like he was crazy.

I looked out the window of the back seat as we were overtook Dad's truck and passed it. Once in front Sam slammed on the brakes, causing the Impala to swerve sideways in front of Dad's truck, making both the cars to stop.

"Oh crap. Here we go," Dean said as Sam climbed out. "Sam!" I called as Dean and I climbed out the car. Dad climbed out of his truck and he looked angry as well as Sam. "Sam!" Dean said.

"What the hell was that?" Dad asked. "We need to talk," Sam said as Dad came to a halt face to face with him, "About what?"

"About everything. Where we going Dad? What's the big deal about this gun?" Sam asked. Dean came closer, "Sammy, come on, we can Q and A after we kill all the vampires."

"Your brother's right, we don't have time for this," Dad said. "Last time we saw you, you said it was too dangerous for us to be together. Now out of the blue you need our help," Sam snapped and he started to yell, "Now obviously something big is going down, and we wanna know what!"

"Get back in the car," Dad ordered. "No," Sam said. "I said get back in the damn car," Dad ordered. "Yeah. And I said no," Sam said. "Okay you made your point tough guy. Look we're all tired, we can talk about this later," Dean said and grabbed Sam, "Sammy, I mean it, come on." He pushed Sam back towards the car, with Sam going but he was still staring at Dad.

"This is why I left in the first place," Sam mumbled as he turned around and we were walking back to the car. "What'd you say?" Dad asked. Sam turned back around, "You heard me."

"Yeah. You left," Dad agreed as he walked up to Sam's face. "Your siblings and me, we needed you. You walked away, Sam." Dad grabbed Sam by his shirt, "You walked away!"

"Stop it, both of you," I said. "You're the one who said don't come back Dad, you closed that door not me. You were just pissed off that you couldn't control me anymore!" Sam snapped.

I came between them, "Stop it, stop it. Stop it! That's enough!" I yelled at them. Sam and Dad stared at each other. "That means you too!" I snapped at Dad and he looked at me surprised.

"Get in the car," Dean ordered. Sam climbed into the driver seat and slammed the door. Dad turned back to his truck as I watched him climbing in. "Scar, let's go," Dean said. I walked to the car with him and we climbed into our seats.

...

It was morning when we got to the vampires nest. It was at abandoned barn. Me, Dad and my brothers were hiding behind trees as we were watching an old and beat up Camaro pulled in. A man climbed out as another man met him at the door, holding it open for him and shading his eyes from the sun.

They talked a little as the man walked in and the one that was holding the door walked in after him. "Son of a bitch," Dean said from beside me. "So they're really not afraid of the sun?" I asked.

"Ahh, direct sunlight hurts like a nasty sunburn. The only way to kill 'em is by beheading. And yeah, they sleep during the day - doesn't mean they won't wake up," Dad explained.

"So I guess walking right in's not our best option," Dean pointed out. "Actually, that's the plan," Dad stated and I raised my eyebrows. We went back to our cars, Dean opened the Impala's trunk and we started taking our weapons. I looked at Dad, who did the same from an automatic hidden compartment that slides from the back of his truck.

"Dad, I've got an extra machete if you need one," Dean said while I was still watching with a smirk. Dad unveils a massive shiny serrated edge machete from a leather holder. "I think I'm ok. Thanks."

"Wow," Dean and I said at the same time. "So, you guys really wanna know about this Colt?" Dad asked after a moment. The three of us looked at him as we stopped what we were doing. "Yes sir," Sam said.

"It's just a story," Dad started and we walked over to him. "A legend really. Well I thought it was. Never really believed it until I read Daniel's letter . . . Back in 1835, when Halley's comet was overhead, the same night those men died at the Alamo. They say Samuel Colt made a gun. A special gun. He made it for a hunter, a man like us only on horseback. Story goes he made thirteen bullets, and this hunter used the gun a half dozen times before he disappeared, the gun along with him. And somehow Daniel got his hands on it. They say . . . they say this gun can kill anything."

"Kill anything like, supernatural anything?" I asked and he gave a small nod. "Like the demon," Sam breathed out. "Yeah, the demon," Dad agreed. "Ever since I picked up its trail I've been looking for a way to destroy that thing. Find the gun - we may have it."


	72. 20-3 Stronger As A Family

After we were ready to go, we went back through the woods and snuck to the barn. Dad led the group towards a large window in the back of the barn. He swung it opened and jumped in. Sam helped me up since the window was taller than me. Once I got in, Sam followed me and then Dean.

Dean closed the window and we looked around the dark and dirty barn. Hammocks hanging from the ceiling, the vampires were sleeping on them. I glanced around, noticing that Dad wasn't with us.

Sam glanced at us and nodded before the three of us started walking quietly through the hammocks. A bottle clink made me freeze and turned around to face Dean, who had kicked a an empty bottle and hit one of the hammocks, but the vampire didn't wake up.

"Dean, Scar," Sam whispered and we walked over to see him bent over the woman from the 911 call. She was tied to a post and had patches of blood on her. Sam began to untie her when a loud noise sounded from behind us.

"There's more," Dean whispered before he stood up and went to investigate. He made his way over to a locked metal grid. I stayed by Sam but then our heads snapped to Dean was we heard a loud crack where he broke the lock. We watched the hammocks but there was no movement.

Sam went back to untying the woman when she started to stir. "Hey. Hey, hey, shh, I'm here to help you," Sam whispered.

Suddenly, the woman roared, making me and Sam rear back in shock. The vampires around us started to wake up. "Sam! Scar!" Dean yelled. Sam and I pulled our machetes out it's holsters.

"Guys, run!" Dad's voice went through the barn, making us all snap our heads in the direction before taking off. The vampires didn't went us to leave just yet and they started to run after us. We burst through the barn doors and into the daylight, slowly the vampires down. We didn't stopped and just ran through the woods towards our cars.

Once me made it, we slowed down to a stop and turned around to see that Dad didn't followed. "Dad?" I yelled. "Dad!" Dean yelled.

After a long moment, Dad came running up to us and we were about to turn around to leave but Dad's voice stopped us, "They won't follow. They'll wait till tonight. Once a vampire has your scent, it's for life."

"Well what the hell do we do now?" Dean asked. "You gotta find the nearest funeral home, that's what," Dad replied. I frowned and exchanged a confused look with my brothers.

... ...

Dean and I went to the funeral home while Sam and Dad were back at our motel room. After that we went back, Dean closed the door, "Whew. Man, some heavy security to protect a bunch of dead guys."

"Get it?" Dad asked. Dean fumbled in his pocket, withdrawing a paper bag. He reached inside it and pulled out the bottle of blood. Dad took it from him and stared at it for a moment. He looked at me and my brothers with a smile, "You know what to do."

... ...

It was night time, as part of the plan, Sam, Dad and I were waiting in the trees as Dean played bait. He was leaning over the open bonnet of the Impala, looking at the engine.

"Car trouble?" A woman's voice called and we saw a beautiful chocolate haired woman. Dean turned around and she walked over to him, looking at him up and down. "Let me give you a lift. I'll take you back to my place." Dean grinned, "Nah I'll pass. I usually draw the line at necrophilia."

"Oooh," She said before she backhanded him across the face, sending him to the floor. Sam and I instinctively lurched forward but Dad grabbed both of us, dragging us back down and shook his head to us to wait. Another vamp approached, smiling.

The woman grabbed Dean's face and lifted him into the air. Dean was grabbing her wrist, "I don't usually get this friendly until the second date but . . ."

"You know, we could have some fun. I always like to make new friends," She said. She lowered him to her level and kissed him, still holding his cheeks tightly. The man watched, smiling.

"Oh. Whuf. Sorry. I don't usually stay with a chick that long. Definitely not eternity," Dean said. That was our cue! Dad and Sam lifted their crossbows, shooting one through the man's back and the other one was on the woman's back. She let go of Dean and looked down at the point sticking out of her chest. "Dammit."

She looked at me, Dad and Sam as we rushed from the trees. "It barely even stings," She said. "Give it time sweetheart. That arrow's soaked in dead man's blood. It's like poison to you isn't it?" I asked, smirking.

She looked at me shocked before her eyes rolled into her head and she lost her consciousness, Dean catch her just in time.

"Load her up," Dad ordered before turning around to the other vamp who was on his knees in front of Sam, who had a raised machete. "I'll take care of this one."

Dean picked the woman up in his arms bridal style while Sam and I looked at Dad, hesitated to leave him alone as he pulled out his machete. He looked at us and gave a small nod, so we left, following Dean.

... ...

We were at a different part of the woods. Dad set up a campfire and brought Dean over to the Impala's trunk, pulling out a bag and handed it to him while Sam and I were patrolling with our machetes. The vampire woman was tied to the nearby tree, still unconscious.

"Toss this on the fire. Saffron, skunk's cabbage and trillium. It'll block our scent and hers, until we're ready," Dad said. Dean sniffed the bag and coughing, "Stuff stinks!"

"That's the idea. Dust your clothes with the ashes, and you stand a chance of not being detected," Dad said. "You sure they'll come after her?" I asked. "Yeah," Dad replied and we watched the woman. "Vampires mate for life. She means more to the leader than the gun. But the blood sickness is going to wear off soon, so you don't have a lot of time."

"A half hour oughta do it," Sam said as Dean came to stand beside me. "And then I want you out of the area as fast as you can," Dad said.

"But . . ." Dean stopped Sam, "Well, Dad you can't take care of them all yourself."

"I'll have her. And the Colt," Dad said. "But after. We're gonna meet up, right? Use the gun together. Right?" Sam asked.

We all stared at Dad but he was avoiding eye contact. "You're leaving again ,aren't you?" I asked coldly, making him to stare at me for a moment before looking away. "You still wanna go after the demon alone. You know, I don't get you. You can't treat us like this," Sam said.

"Like what?" Dad asked. "Like children," Sam said. "You are my children. I'm trying to keep you safe," Dad said. "Dad, all due respect but, uh, that's a bunch of crap," Dean said, making the three of us to look at him, shocked.

"Excuse me?" Dad asked. "You know what Scar, Sammy and I have been hunting. Hell you sent us on a few hunting trips yourself. You can't be that worried about keeping us safe," Dean said.

"It's not the same thing, Dean," Dad said. "What is it, then? Why do you want us out of the big fight?" I asked. "This demon? It's a bad son of a bitch. I can't make the same moves if I'm worried about keeping you alive," Dad said.

"You mean you can't be as reckless," Dean said. "Look . . . I don't expect to make it out of this fight in one piece. Your mother's death . . . it almost killed me. I can't watch my children die too. I won't," Dad said.

"What happens if you die? Dad, what happens if you die, and we coulda done something about it? You know I been thinking. I . . . think maybe Sammy's right about this one. We should do this together," Dean said, making Sam and I to nod.

"We're stronger as a family, Dad. We just are. You know it," I said. "We're running out of time. You do your job and you get out of the area. That's an order," Dad ordered. I just stared at him while Dean looked down and Sam clenched his jaw.

... ...

Dean, Sam and I went back to the vampire nest. We stood in the shadows, watching as a vampire was drinking from a bottle of whiskey. I grabbed a small rock and threw it at the barn doors. The vampire looked up and walked over o investigate. He fond nothing and shrugged, taking another swing of the bottle.

Just before he turned around, I came behind him, shocking him when we came face to face. "Boo," I said, smirking. I swing my machete at him and he fall to the floor.

I looked at my brothers and Dean rushed back to the locked container of people. "I told you I'd come back," He said, smiling and he begin breaking the hinges. "Let's get them out and go help Dad," I said as Sam and I walked over to Dean.

... ...

We ran as fast as we could.

Dean, Sam and I reached to where Dad was at the road, seeing he was on the ground. Dean shoot an arrow on one of the vamps as we run out of the trees. Sam shoot an arrow on another vamp while I moved towards the so-call-leader, but when I reached to him, he backhanded me and then pulled me to him, wrapping his arm around my throat.

"Don't!" He yelled to my brothers that had their weapons pointing at him. "I'll break her neck. Put the blades down," He ordered. Sam and Dean stared at him and when the leader tightened his hold on my neck, cutting off my air supply completely, they dropped the machetes.

"You people. Why can't you leave us alone. We have as much right to live as you do," The leader said. "I don't think so," Dad's voice said from behind. The leader turned around, making me turn with him. We saw Dad was raising the Colt and he shoot the leader between the eyes.

Suddenly, his hand left my neck and I stumbled away, gasping for air. Suddenly I was grabbed backward and saw it was my brothers, pulling me between then with their arms wrapped around me tightly.

A strange light began to glow from the wound and he stumbled, a brief flash reflected his skeleton before he fell to his knees.

"Lutherrrr!" The woman screamed in pure horror, watching. Another light flashed through him and he slammed to the ground, dead. The woman looked at Dad and started walking towards him but another female vamp grabbed her and dragged her towards the car.

They took off, wheels screaming. Me and my brothers stared at Dad, who looked at us, smiling in satisfaction.

... ...

We were back at the motel room, Dean, Sam and I were packing our stuff. "So guys," Dad said from behind. We turned around to see him walking in. "Yes sir," Sam said. "You ignored a direct order back there," Dad stated.

"Yes sir," Dean agreed. "Yeah, but we saved your ass," I said, crossing my arms across my chest. I could feel my brothers' eyes looking at each side of me, nervously. But I stared at Dad while he looked steadily at me.

"You're right," He spoke, nodding a little. "I'm usually am," I noted, making a small smile place on his face. "Yes. Yeah, you are," He agreed. "It scares the hell out of me. You three are all I've got. But I guess we are stronger as a family. So . . . we go after this damn thing. _Together_."

I smiled slightly at that and glanced at both my brothers, to see that they had small smiles on as well. "Yes sir," The three of us said at the same time.


	73. 21-1 Salvation

The walls were covered with information on the yellow eyed demon. Weather charts, hieroglyphics, pictures, newspaper articles and written notes. Dean was sitting at a paper strewn desk, the Colt in front of him. Sam and I were leaning against the counter while Dean was standing beside Dad.

"So this is it. This is everything I know. Look, our whole lives we been searching for this demon right? Not a trace, just . . . nothing. Until about a year ago. For the first time I picked up a trail," Dad explained.

"And that's when you took off," Dean said. "Yeah. That's right. The demon must have come out of hiding, or hibernation," Dad said.

"All right so what's this trail you found?" I asked, crossing my arms. "It starts in Arizona, then New Jersey, California. Houses burned down to the ground. It's going after families, just like it went after us," Dad said.

"Families with infants?" Sam asked. Dad nodded, "Yeah. The night of the kid's six-month birthday," He replied. Sam's face showed surprise and his eyes flickered to Dean and then at me before back at Dad, "I was six months old that night?"

"Exactly six months," Dad confirmed. "So basically, this demon is going after these kids for some reason," Sam said. "The same way it came for me? So Mom's death . . . Jessica. It's all because of me?"

"We don't know that Sam," Dean said. "Oh really? Cause I'd say we're pretty damn sure Dean," Sam said, raising his voice slightly.

"For the last time, what happened to them was not your fault," Dean said, frustrated. "Right. It's not my fault but it's my problem," Sam yelled.

"No it's not your problem it's our problem!" Dean yelled back. "Okay. That's enough," Dad said, standing up. Dean and Sam stared at each other, taking a deep breath to calm down as Sam turned around.

"So why's he doing it. What does he want?" Sam asked. "Look I wish I had more answers, I do. I've always been one step behind it. Look, I've never gotten there in time to save . . ." Dad trailed off and looked down.

"All right so how do we find it before it hits again?" I asked. "There's signs," Dad started. "It took me a while to see the pattern but it's there in the days before these fires signs crop up in an area. Cattle deaths, temperature fluctations, electrical storms." Dean glanced at me and Sam before back at Dad. "And then I went back and checked . . . and . . ."

"These things happened in Lawrence," Dean said. Dad looked at him and nodded, "A week before your mother died." Then he looked at Sam, "And in Palo Alto . . . before Jessica. And these signs, they're starting again."

"Where?" I asked. "Salvation Iowa," Dad replied.

... ...

We were at the road, driving at the Impala, following Dad's truck. "When can I drive again?" I spoke from my spot on the back seat. Again!

Sam and Dean suddenly chuckled. "Don't worry, you will," Dean said. I huffed, crossing my arms. "When?" I asked. "Soon," Both of them said at the same time, making me groan.

Suddenly, Dad's truck pulled off to the side of the road and Dean pulled the car off the road as well. Sam and I looked at each other, frowning before looking back to see Dad climbing out of his truck.

Dean followed and so did Sam and I. "God damn it!" Dad said. "What is it?" Dean asked. "Son of a bitch," Dad said, smashing his fist at the back of his truck.

"What is it!" Dean asked again. "I just got a call from Caleb," Dad replied. "Is he okay?" I asked. "He's fine," Dad replied. "Jim Murphy's dead."

"Pastor Jim?" Sam asked, shocked. Dad nodded regretfully. "How?" Sam asked. "His throat was slashed. He bled out," Dad explained. "Caleb said they found traces of sulfur at Jim's place."

"A demon," I said and Dad nodded. "The Demon?" Dean asked. "I don't know," Dad said. "Could be he just got careless, he slipped up. Maybe the demon knows we're getting close."

"What do you wanna do?" Dean asked. "Now we act like every second counts. There's two hospitals and a health centre in this county. We split up, cover more ground. I want records. I want a list of every infant that's going to be six months old in the next week," Dad said.

"Dad that could be dozens of kids. How do we know which one's the right one?" Sam asked. "We check 'em all that's how," Dad said. "You got any better ideas?"

"No sir," Sam said. Dad and Dean shared a look before they both turned back to their cars. I opened the door to the back seat but stopped when I looked back up to see Dad was leaning on his trunk, his back was facing us.

"Dad?" I called gently. "Yeah. It's Jim," Dad replied and he turned to face us slightly. He looked upset and that was the first time me or my brothers saw him like that. "You know, I can't . . ." He looked away for a moment before looking back at us with his face hardens. "This ends, now. I'm ending it. I don't care what it takes."

With that he turned back to the trunk and he climbed in. I shared a look with my brothers before climbing in the car. The truck pulled away and we followed behind.

... ...

Sam and I were at the Salvation Medical Centre, sitting at a table and jotting down every name of a child turning six months old in the next week.

"Here you go officer," A nurse said as she placed another pile of files in front of Sam. "Thank you," He said. "You're welcome," She said and walked away.

I sighed as I flipped through the files to find names and writing them down with Sam doing the same on his notebook.

After we finished, we went out of the Centre. "Okay," Sam started, sighing as he looked through his notebook. "Let's start." I sighed, "Awesome," I said sarcastically.

He chuckled slightly but then he stopped walking and clutched at his forehead. I frowned and grabbed his arm, "Hey, take it easy," I said worried.

His eyes were unfocused as his breathing quickened and I rubbed my hand down his back. His hand grabbed tightly onto my upper arm. Slowly, he looked around as he loosened his hold on me.

"Train," He muttered as he pulled out the map. "Sam? Are you okay now?" I asked. "Yeah, but," Sam said and looked back at me, "I know where we need to go."

... ...

Sam and I jogged to a park and he checked the map again. As he did, he clutched his head again. His face scrunched up in pain and I grabbed his arm again. "What is it? Another vision?" I asked.

"Yeah," He replied as he looked around before his eyes spotted something. "That's the house," He said just as a woman walked at the corner, pushing a stroller and holding an umbrella. "Come on, let's go," Sam said and we jogged across the street to the woman.

"Hi," Sam greeted as she struggled with putting her umbrella away while holding onto the stroller. Sam's hand shot out to hold onto the handle with a gentle smile on his face. "Here, let me hold that for you. You look like you don't need that anymore."

"Oh. Thanks," The woman replied with a smile and closed the umbrella. Sam and I looked inside the pram to the little baby wearing a pink hat, "She's gorgeous. Is she yours?"

"Yeah," The woman replied with a smile. "Oh wow, hi!" I said to the baby, smiling widely. I turned my attention back to the mother as she started to push to stroller away and hold out my hand, "Oh sorry, I'm rude. I'm Scarlett and this is my brother, Sam. We just moved in up the block." She smiled and shook my hand, "Hi. I'm Monica. This is Rosie."

"Rosie? Hi Rosie," Sam said to the baby with a smile. "So, welcome to the neighborhood," Monica said with a smile. "Thanks. She's such a good baby!" I said.

"I know, I mean she . . . she never cries. She just stares at everybody. Sometimes she looks at you and I swear it's . . . it's like she's reading your mind," Monica said.

"What about you Monica? Have you lived here long?" Sam asked. "My husband and I, we bought our place just before Rosie was born," She replied, pointing at the house next to us.

"And how old is Rosie?" I asked. "She's six months today," She replied and Sam's face fell but she didn't noticed. "She's big right? Growing like a weed."

"Yeah," Sam agreed, distracted. She looked at him confused as he paused, looking at Rosie. "Monica . . ."

"Yeah?" She asked. "Just ahhh, just take care of yourself okay?" Sam said as he forced a smile on his face. "Yeah, you too guys. We'll see you around," Monica said, smiling and nodding a goodbye. She pushed the stroller away and onto the driveway of the house just as a station wagon pulled in, honking. "There's Daddy!"

We watched from the sidewalk when Sam suddenly was hit with another vision. He gasped, clutching onto his head. "Sam?" I asked as I grabbed his arm again. After a moment, his face relaxed, "It's them, I saw it happening," He said with his eyes sad and then he looked at me, "He's coming."

... ...

Sam sat at the table in the motel room, rubbing his temples while I rubbed his shoulders comforting. Dean and Dad were sitting on the end of each bed, looking at Sam.

"A vision," Dad said flatly. When Sam and I got back, we told Dad and Dean everything but Dad didn't seemed to believe in the whole vision thing.

"Yes. I saw the demon burning a woman on the ceiling," Sam replied, slow and painful. "And you think this is going to happen to this woman you met because . . ." Dad trailed off.

"Because these things happen exactly the way I see them," Sam said. "It started out as nightmares. Then it started happening while he was awake," I spoke up as Dean rose from the bed and crossed the room to the counter behind me to get more coffee.

"Yeah," Sam agreed with me, wincing. "It's like the closer I get to anything to do with the demon the stronger the visions get."

"All right. When were you going to tell me about this?" Dad asked, making us all to look at him. "We didn't know what it meant," Dean said.

"All right, something like this starts happening to your brother, you pick up the phone and you call me," Dad snapped. I frowned, shocked.

Dean looked angry as he dumped his cup in the sink and walked towards Dad, "Call you? Are you kidding me? Dad I called you from Lawrence all right? Sam and Scar called you when I was dying. I mean, getting you on the phone? I got a better chance of winning the lottery."

Dad looked at me and Sam but we looked away. "You're right. Although I'm not too crazy about this new tone of yours, you're right. I'm sorry," Dad said. "Look guys, visions or no visions, fact is, we know the demon is coming tonight. And this family's gonna go through the same hell we went through," Sam pointed out.

Dean walked back to the counter as Dad shook his head, "No they're not. No one is, ever again." Suddenly, my phone rang and I answered it, "Hello?"

" _Scarlett, baby_ ," A woman's voice said sweetly. I frowned, "Who is this?" I asked. " _Think real hard it will come to you, baby_ ," She said.

I thought for a moment before my face fell. "Meg," I said coldly, making Dad and my brothers to turn their fully attention to me.

"Last time I saw you, you fell out of a window," I reminded her. " _Yeah, no thanks to you and your brothers. That really hurt my feelings by the way_ ," She said.

I smirked sarcastically, "Just your feelings? That was a seven-story drop," I said. " _Lemme speak to your Dad_ ," She said. I glanced at Dad and he knew she wanted to speak to him. "My Dad? I don't know where my Dad is," I lied.

" _It's time for the grown ups to talk Scar, let me speak to him now_ ," Mag said. I glanced back at Dad to see he walking over to me. He nodded, holding his hand for the phone. I hesitated but I gave him the phone.

"This is John," Dad said, turning away from us and taking a few steps away. A long paused filled the air as he listened. "I'm here," He said. "Caleb?"

Me and my brothers instantly reacted to the name. "You listen to me. He's got nothing to do with anything. You let him go," Dad said. "I don't know what you're talking about. Caleb. Caleb!"

Dad slowly turned to face us. "I'm gonna kill you, you know that?" He said to her. He walked over to us slowly as he listened. He thought for a moment, "Okay."

I frowned and glanced at each of my brothers before back at Dad. "I said okay, I'll bring you the colt," Dad said. I shared a shock look with my brothers before looking back at Dad. "It's gonna take me about a days drive to get there," He said. "That's impossible. I can't get there in time and I can't just carry a gun on the plane."


	74. 21-2 Awake And Alive

After Dad finished his talk with Mag, he told us everything. "So you think Meg is a demon?" Sam asked. "Either that, or she's possessed by one. It doesn't really matter," Dad replied.

"What do we do?" I asked. "I'm going to Lincoln," He said. "What?" Dean asked. "It doesn't look like we have a choice. If I don't go, a lot of people die, our friends die," Dad said.

"Dad, the demon is coming tonight. For Monica and her family. That gun is all we got, you can't just hand it over," Sam said.

"Who said anything about handing it over. Look, besides us and a coupla of vampires no ones really seen the gun, no one knows what it looks like," Dad said.

"So what, you're just going to pick up a ringer at a pawn shop?" Dean asked. "Antique store," Dad said. "You're going to hand Meg a fake gun and hope she doesn't notice?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Look, as long as it's close, she shouldn't be able to tell the difference," Dad replied. "Yeah but for how long? What happens when she figures it out?" Dean asked.

"I just . . . I just need to buy a few hours, that's all," Dad said. "You mean for us," Sam said in a low voice. Dean and I looked at each other, shocked before looking at Sam and then at Dad. "You want us to stay here, and kill this demon by ourselves?"

"No Sam. I want to stop losing people we love. I want you to go to school, I want Dean to have a home. I want Scarlett to have a normal life. I want . . ." Dad trailed off, turning his back to us. "I want Mary alive." I looked down as Dad turned back to face us. "It's just . . . I just want this to be over."

... ...

Dad, Sam and I were standing at the back of his truck, checking weapons at the muddy road. We turned around to see the Impala coming toward us and Dean climbed out.

"You get it?" Dad asked as he came over to us. Dean reached into his jacket and pulled out a brown paper bag. He looked down at it, then back at Dad before handing it over.

"You know this is a trap don't you," I said, shoving my hands into my jacket pocket as Dad opened the paper bag and removed a antique gun. "That's why Meg wants you to come alone?"

"I can handle her. I got a whole arsenal loaded. Holy water, Mandaic, amulets . . ." Dad listed. "Dad . . ." Dean cut him off. "What?" Dad asked.

"Promise me something," Dean said. "What's that?" Dad asked. "This thing goes south just . . . get the hell out," Dean said. "Don't get yourself killed all right, you're no good to us dead."

Dad gave a small nod, "Same goes for you." There was a long pause before he spoke again. "All right listen to me." He pulled out the real gun. "They made the bullets special for this colt. There's only four of them left. Without them this gun is useless." He looked at each of us. "You make every shot count."

"Yes sir," Sam and I said at the same time. "Been waiting a long time for this fight. Now it's here I'm not gonna be in it. It's up to you guys now. It's your fight, you finish this. You finish what I started. Understand?" Dad said, looking at each of us.

None of us spoke and after a moment of looking at each of us, Dad handed Dean the colt. "We'll see you soon Dad," Sam said. Dad smiled slightly and nodded, "I'll see you later."

He clapped a hand onto Sam's shoulder before letting go and stepping towards me. He pressed a kiss to my forehead and then walked to the driver's door of the truck.

Sam and I stood at each side of Dean as Dad gave us one last glance before climbing in. We watched him driving away. "Later," Dean muttered.

Sam sighed sadly as he walked to the Impala, climbing into the passenger seat. I glared at Dean and stopped him from moving. I hold my hand out, "The keys," I said, giving him my puppy eyes. He huffed after a moment. "I hate the puppy eyes dog," He muttered as he pulled out the car keys.

I grinned and rushed to the car. Sam laughed as I climbed in and Dean walked to the opened passenger door. "Hey, back seat, come on," He said to Sam. Sam give him his bitch face, "No way, dude."

"Sam -"

"Dean, it's your turn to be at the back seat," I cut Dean off. He stared at me in shock, "I never in the back seat!" He whined. "Well, you are now. Get to the back or I'll have to leave you here," I said.

Sam fought to keep his smile from coming out but it slipped, making Dean to glare at him. "Son of a . . ." Dean said as he shut the passenger door and then climbed in the back seat, "I can't believe my baby sister just burned me. Back seat." I smirked as I started the car and we drive away.

... ...

Later that night, we were sitting in the Impala outside Monica's house, watching as her and her husband finished dinner.

"Maybe we could tell em it was a gas leak. Might get em out of the house for a few hours," Sam suggested. "Yeah and how many times has that actually worked for us?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," He agreed and thought for some more before shrugging. "We could always tell em the truth." Dean and I looked at each other before a Sam, "Nah!" The three of us said at the same time.

"I know I know. I just . . . with what's coming for these folks . . ." Sam said. "Sam we only got one move and you know it, all right? We gotta wait for that demon to show itself and then we get it before it gets them," Dean said.

With that we looked back at the house. "I wonder how Dad's doing," Sam said after a moment. "I'd feel a lot better if we were there backing him up," Dean said. Sam scoffed slightly. "I'd feel a lot better if he were here backing us up," He said and I hummed an agreement, watching the house.

After a long moment, Sam sighed, "This is weird," He said and I looked at him, Dean leaning back forwards. "What?" We both asked. "After all of these years we're finally here. It doesn't seem real," Sam said.

"We just gotta keep our heads and do our job, like always," Dean said. "Yeah but this isn't like always," Sam said. "True," Dean agreed and we watched the house again. "Dean, Scar . . . ah . . . I wanna thank you," Sam started, making me look at him.

"For what?" I asked. "For everything," He said. "You've always had my back you know? Even when I couldn't count on anyone I could always count on you. And ah . . . I don't know I just wanted to let you know, Just in case -"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, are you kidding me?" I cut him off. "What?" He asked. "Don't say just in case something happens to you. We don't wanna hear that freaking speech man. Nobody's dying tonight. Not us, not that family, nobody. Except that demon. That evil son of a bitch ain't getting any older than tonight, you understand me?" Dean said. Sam nodded slightly before we all got back to watch the house.

... ...

Monica and her family had long gone to bed but we were still watching, waiting for any sign that the demon would appear. We hadn't heard anything from Dad since he left so Dean was trying to get a hold of him.

"Dad's not answering," He said, hanging up the phone. "Maybe Meg was late. Maybe cell reception's bad," I suggested. "Yeah well . . ." Dean trailed off.

Suddenly, the radio started playing static, making the three of us glance down to is. "Guys wait. Listen," Sam said and he rolled the dial on the radio, hearing more static come and go. Then, we looked outside, the wind picked up and the lights in the house flickered.

The three of us looked at each other, wide eyes. "It's coming," Sam choked out and the three of us, jumped out of the car.


	75. 21-3 Highway to Hell

Dean used his credit card to slide the lock on the front door open, holding it as Sam and I walked in silently. All the main lights were off except a few lamps as we moved through the house, searching the shadows.

Sam and I walked into the lounge quietly and Dean behind us. Suddenly, "Get out of my house!" Sam and I turned to see Monica's husband swings a bat at Dean's head but he missed, smashing a lamp.

Dean quickly closed in and grappled with him, grabbing the bat. "Get out of my house!" Dean pushed him against the wall and the bat was hold to the man's throat to keep him in place.

"Please, please. Mr. Holden, please," Sam begged. Mr. Holden's face filled with fear as his eyes flickered to Sam, "Be quiet and listen to me," Dean said sharply. Mr. Holden's gaze switched to my older brother. "Be quiet and listen. We are trying to help you."

"Charlie? Is everything okay?" Monica's voice called from upstairs. "Monica get the baby!" Mr. Holden yelled. "No! Don't go in the nursery!" I yelled.

"You stay away from her!" Mr. Holden shouted as Sam started to rush towards the stairs. I ran after Sam upstairs, running to the nursery.

I ran in just in time to see Sam pointing the colt at a dark figure and shoot. "Rosie!" I looked to my side and saw Monica on the ceiling but when the demon disappeared into smoke, she fell to the floor.

"Where the hell did it go!?" Sam asked as he kneeled to help Monica. "My baby!" Monica said, standing up. She wanted to move towards the cot but Sam stopped her.

"No wait!" He said. "Take her and go!" I said, rushing to the cot. "Rosie!" Monica called. "Scar's got her," Sam said as he pulled her out.

I quickly wrapped the blankets around the baby and pulled her up as the cot exploded into flame. "Scar!" I heard Dean's voice and just then he came in. "Come on," He said, pulling me with him outside the room.

We all ran outside the house as the flames shooting out of the windows upstairs. We coughed and I glanced down at the baby that was in my arms to see she was okay.

"You get away from my family!" Mr. Holden said, getting up from the grass. "No Charlie don't. They saved us," Monica said and I came over to her. "She's okay," I said. "I mean they saved us," Monica repeated, taking the baby gently from my arms as she started to cry.

Her husband wrapped his arms around both of them and Monica looked at me and my brothers, "Thank you," She said.

The three of us looked back to the burning house and saw the demon was silhouetted in the burning nursery, standing completely still.

"It's still in there!" Sam said, moving to get back inside but Dean and I grabbed him. "Sam," I said. "Sam, no," Dean said and Sam was struggling against both of us. "Let me go, it's still in there."

"No. It's burning to the ground, it's suicide!" I said. "I don't care!" Sam yelled. "We do!" Dean yelled back and the three of us looked back up as the flames raised again and the demon disappeared.

... ...

We were back at the motel, Sam sat on the bed, staring down at the floor while I saw at the other bed. Dean was pacing the room, his phone to his ear. "Come on Dad, answer your phone damn it," Dean said in frustration. He hung up and glared down at the small phone. "Something's wrong."

I sighed as we both looked at Sam. He didn't answer and stared at the wall, giving great bitch face. "You hear me? Something's wrong," Dean repeated to him.

"If you had just let me go in there, I coulda ended all this," Sam said, lowly, still looking at the wall. "Sam, the only thing you would have ended was your life," I said, angry. Sam looked at me, "You don't know that."

"So what, you're just willing to sacrifice yourself, is that it?" Dean asked, walking towards the bed. Sam stood up, "Yeah. Yeah you're damn right I am."

"Well that's not going to happen, not as long as we're around," Dean said, gesturing between himself and me as he started to turn away but turned back around when Sam spoke.

"What the hell are you talking about Dean, we've been searching for this demon our whole lives. It's the only thing we've ever cared about."

"Sam, I wanna waste it. I do. Okay? But it's not worth dying over," Dean said. "What?" Sam asked. "I mean it. If hunting this demon means getting yourself killed then I hope we never find the damn thing," Dean said.

"That thing killed Jess. That thing killed Mom," Sam said. "You said yourself once," Dean started. "That no matter what we do, they're gone, and they're never coming back."

Sam totally lost it, he grabbed Dean and shoved him hard against the wall. "Sam!" I called as I tried to push him away from Dean.

"Don't you say that, not you! Not after all this don't you say that," Sam said to Dean, angry and upset. "Sam, let go, that's enough," I said, pushing him away.

"Sam look. The four of us . . . that's all we have . . . and it's all I have," Dean spoke quietly, his voice cracked slightly. Sam's eyes were filled with tears as he stared at Dean. "Sometimes I feel like I'm barely holding it together man . . . and without you or Scar or Dad . . ."

"Dad," Sam mumbled, clearly upset. He turned away from us, rubbing his forehead. After a moment, he turned back around, tears still in his eyes, "He should have called by now. Try him again."

Dean licked his lips as he dialed Dad's number and pressed the phone back to his ear. After a moment, his body stiffened and his eyes snapped to me and Sam, "Where is he?"


	76. 22-1 Devil's Trap

Slowly, Dean removed the phone from his ear and hung up, "They've got Dad," He said and started to pace. "Meg?" I asked, shocked. Dean just nodded. "What'd she say?" Sam asked.

"I just told you, Sammy," Dean said, clearly upset. "Okay. Okay." He forced himself to take a deep breath to try and calm himself, rubbing a hand down his face.

He looked around and walked towards the bedside table where the Colt was laying. He grabbed the Colt and tucked it into the back of his jeans. "What are you doing, Dean?" Sam asked as Dean grabbed his bag. "We got to go," He said.

"Why?" I asked. He looked back at me as he put on his jacket, "Because the demon knows we're in Salvation, all right. It knows we got the Colt. It's got Dad - it's probably coming for us next."

He grabbed my duffel bag off the bed and hold it out to me, which I took it as Sam came to stand beside us, "Good. We've still got three bullets left. Let it come."

"Listed, tough guy, we're not ready, okay? We don't know how many of them are out there. Now, we're no good to anybody dead. We're leaving . . . now!" Dean ordered.

... ...

The Impala was speeding down the road, turning sharply around a corner. "I'm telling you, Dean, we could have taken him," Sam said.

"What we need is a plan. Now, they're probably keeping Dad alive, we just gotta figure out where. They're gonna wanna trade him for the gun," Dean explained. Sam just shook his head and Dean glanced over at him, "What?"

"Dean, if that were true, why didn't Meg mention a trade?" Sam asked. "Dad, he might be . . ." I leaned forward, "No, don't!" I snapped.

"Look, I don't want to believe it any more than you. But if he is, all the more reason to kill this damn thing. We still have the Colt. We can still finish the job," Sam said.

"Screw the job, Sam!" Dean said. "Dean, I'm just trying to do what he would want. He would want us to keep going," Sam said.

"Quit talking about him like he's dead already?" I said. "Hey, now, listen to me, everything stops until we get him back, you understand me? Everything," Dean said. Sam paused to think, "So how do we find him?"

"Maybe we go to Lincoln. Start at the warehouse where he was taken," Dean suggested. "You really think these demons are going to leave a trail?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He paused for a moment, "You're right. We need help." I frowned and shared a look with Sam before looking back at him.

...

"Scar." I groaned as I opened my eyes slightly to see Sam looking at me from his spot on the passenger seat. I guess I fell a sleep after a little while and now it was morning. "Hey, look where we are," He said with a small smirk.

I frowned and got up slightly. "What?" I asked before looking out the window. My eyes grow wide and my brothers laughed. We were at Bobby's junkyard! Uncle Bobby! I smiled as I quickly opened the back seat door and climbed out.

I glanced around and spotted on a blue truck a large dog. My jaw dropped. "Rumsfeld?" The dog looked up at me and gave a small bark, tail wagging excitedly.

I grinned as I walked up to him. I scratched his ears, "Hey boy, how are you? Did you missed me?" I asked. He barked again, placing his paw on my hand and I giggled, shaking his paw.

Bobby was an old friend of Dad's, who had not parted on good terms with him the last time they saw each other.

I turned around to my brothers as they walked up to me, smiling. Dean handed me my bag before running to the front door of Bobby's house. "Slow down!" Dean called but I ignored the call, grinning. I knocked on the door couple of times and waited.

After a few seconds, the door opened, revealing Bobby with a bottle. I smirked, not surprise by that. His eyes grew wide as he looked at me, "Scarlett?" He asked, shocked. I nodded with a smirk.

He laughed before pulling me to a tightly hug. "Damn, look at you. You gown up so much!" He said and we broke the hug. "It's good to see you too, Bobby," I said as my brothers came over. "Hey, Bobby," Dean said. "Hey, boys," Bobby said before pulling Dean to a hug and then Sammy before letting us in.

After a few minutes of talking, Sam was sitting at a cluttered desk, reading a very large book while I was looking at the papers on the walls.

I glanced to the side to see Bobby coming back with two round silver flasks with crosses on them and hands one to Dean. "Here you go."

"What is this - holy water?" Dean asked. "That one is," Bobby said, pointing at the flask that Dean hold and then at the one that he was holding, "This is whiskey." I giggled as Dean frowned, looking down at the flasks that was in his hand and then looked at Bobby, who took a swig of the whiskey. Then, he handed it to Dean, who took it and then took a swig as well.

"Hey, Bobby, thanks. Thanks for everything," I said as I stood between them. "Yeah, to tell you the truth, I wasn't sure we should come," Dean said. "Nonsense. Your Daddy needs help," Bobby said.

"Well, yeah, but last time we saw you, I mean, you did threaten to blast him full of buckshot. Cocked the shotgun and everything," Dean reminded him. Bobby sighed deeply before he placed a hand on my shoulder as he looked at us, "Yeah, well, what can I say? John just has that effect on people."

"Yeah, I guess he does," Dean agreed as I smiled slightly. "None of that matters now. All that matters is that you get him back," Bobby said. "Bobby, this book . . ." Sam started, scoffing. "I've never seen anything like it."

Bobby walked over to Sam, "Key of Solomon?" He sat on the corner of the desk, "It's the real deal, alright." Dean and I walked over. "And these, uh, these protective circles. They really work?" Sam asked.

"Hell, yeah. You get a demon in - they're trapped. Powerless. It's like a Satanic roach motel," Bobby said, making Sam to chuckle. "Man, knows his stuff," Dean said. "I'll tell you something else, too. This is some serious crap you guys stepped in," Bobby said.

"Oh, yeah? How's that?" I asked. "Normal year, I hear of, say, three demonic possessions. Maybe four, tops," He said. "Yeah?" Dean asked. "This year I hear of 27 so far," Bobby explained, making me and my brothers to exchange a glance. "You get what I'm saying? More and more demons are walking among us - a lot more."

"Do you know why?" Sam asked. "No, but I know it's something big. The storm's coming, and you guys, your Daddy - you are smack in the middle of it," Bobby said, making the three of us to look at each other.

Suddenly, a bark from outside made all four of us to look at the window. "Rumsfeld," Bobby said as he walked to the window and Rumsfeld stopped barking with a whine. He looked out the window and then looked back at us, "Something's wrong."

At that moment the door was kicked open and Meg walked in. I saw Dean slipping the holy water flask out of his pocket. "No more crap, okay?" Meg said. Dean walked up on her, unscrewing the flask, but Meg hit him and send him flying into a stack of books, knocking him out.

Sam walked around the desk, stepping in front of me and Bobby, placing himself between us and Meg. "I want the Colt, guys - the real Colt - right now," Meg said. I grabbed Sam's and Bobby's arms, taking them with me slowly across the room with her following us.

"We don't have it on us. We buried it," I said. "Didn't I say "no more crap"? I swear - after everything I heard about you Winchesters, I got to tell you, I'm a little underwhelmed," She said. "First Johnny tries to pawn off a fake gun, and then he leaves the real gun with you three chuckleheads. Lackluster, men. I mean, did you really think I wouldn't find you?"

Dean stepped behind her. "Actually." Meg turned around. "We were counting on it." They stared at each other for a few seconds before he looked up at the ceiling. She followed his gaze and saw a large devil trap etched there.

I smirked and crossed my arms, stepping away from Sam and Bobby. Meg looked back at me. "Gotcha," I said.

We managed to tie Meg up to a chair. Bobby went to do something, leaving us three in the room to watch her. Dean and Sam were both on each side of me watching her but her eyes remained on me.

"You know, if you wanted to tie me up, all you had to do was ask," She spoke, keeping her eyes on me. Then, Bobby walked in, carrying a large canister of salt and stood in front of us, "I salted the door and windows. If there are any demons out there - they ain't getting in."

Dean nodded and stood up, moving around Bobby to stand in front of Meg. "Where's our father, Meg?" He asked. "You didn't ask very nice," She said. "Where's our father, bitch?" He asked.

Meg's mouth popped open in fake surprise. "Jeez. You kiss your mother with that mouth? Oh wait, I forgot, you don't."

Dean lunged at her, putting his hands on the chair arms. "You think this is a frigging game? Where is he?! What did you do to him?" He yelled.

"He died screaming. I killed him myself," Meg said, smiling. Dean just looked at her with hate in his eyes, then suddenly, he hit her across the face. She yelped and snapped her head back to look at Dean. "That's kind of a turn on - you hitting a girl."

"You're no girl," Dean said, clenching his fists tightly. "Dean," Bobby said, standing up and he moved into the other room.

Me and my brothers followed him. "You okay?" Sam asked. "She's lying. He's not dead," Dean said. "Dean, you got to be careful with her. Don't hurt her," Bobby said.

"Why?" Dean asked, frowning. "Because she really is a girl, that's why," Bobby replied. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

"She's possessed. That's a human possessed by a demon. Can't you tell?" Bobby said. "Are you trying to tell me there's an innocent girl trapped somewhere in there?" Dean asked.

Bobby just nodded and Dean then turned to look at Meg, who stared back at him. He looked back at Bobby, "That's actually good news."

So we decided to do an exorcism ritual, we got back to the room. Sam looked through the book we found for the ritual and then he looked at me and Dean before we looked at Meg.

She looked at the book then glanced at Sam, "Are you gonna read me a story?" She mocked. "Something like that," I said. "Hit it, Sam," Dean ordered.

" _Regna terrae, cantate deo, psallite domino . . ._ " Sam started to read off the page in Latin. Meg smirked up at Dean and me, "An exorcism? Are you serious?"

"Oh we're going for it, baby - head spinning, projectile vomiting, the whole nine yards," Dean said.

" _. . . tribuite virtutem deo_."

Meg flinched in pain, a yelp escaped her lips, and I looked at my brothers surprised. Meg looked over her shoulder at Sam, "I'm gonna to kill you." Then she looked at Dean, "I'm gonna rip the bones from your body."

"No, you're gonna burn in hell. Unless you tell us where our Dad is," Dean said. Meg just smiled at him. "Well, at least you'll get a nice tan," I said as Dean glanced up at Sam.

" _Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incuriso infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, onmis congregatio et secta diabolica . . ._ "

Meg began shaking and obviously in pain while Sam read the exorcism ritual. She finally gasped in pain and Sam stopped.

"He begged for his life with tears in his eyes. He begged to see his sons one last time. That's when I slit his throat," She said through clenched teeth. Sam started reading again and Dean leaned down to her.

" _Ergo . . ._ "

"For your sake, I hope you're lying. Cause if it's true, I swear to God, I will march into hell myself and I will slaughter each and every one of you evil sons of bitches, so help me God!" Dean snapped.

" _Perditionis venenum propinare. Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciae._ "

Suddenly, a winds started to blow through the room but Sam continued. " _Hostis humanae salutis. Humiliare sub potenti manu dei. Contremisce et effuge. Invocato a nobis sancto et terribile nomine. Quem inferi tremunt . . ._ "

Meg started to show signs of being in pain again and Sam stopped. "Where is he?" I asked. "You just won't take 'dead' for an answer, will you, my Unicorn?" Meg said.

"Where is he?!" Dean yelled. "Dead!" Meg shouted. "No, he's not! He's not dead! He can't be!" Dean yelled, getting in her face. Sam and I looked at our older brother with concern. He was getting too angry and upset. He looked at me and then at Sam, "What are you looking at? Keep reading."

"He will be!" Meg shouted. "Wait!" Dean called, holding his hand to Sam and he stopped. "What?!" Dean asked. "He's not dead. But he will be after what we do to him," She said.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" I asked. "You don't," She replied. "Sam!" Dean called, urging for our brother to continue. "A building!" Meg said before Sam could continue. "Okay? A building in Jefferson City."

"Missouri? Where, where? An address!" Dean ordered. "I don't know," She said. "And the demon - the one we're looking for - where is it?" Sam asked.

"I don't know! I swear! That's everything. That's all I know," Meg said. Dean stared at her for a moment, "Finish it."

I looked at him, frowning before. "What? I told you the truth!" Meg said as Dean walked around her from behind. "I don't care," He said.

"You son of a bitch, you promised," Meg said. "I lied!" Dean yelled, getting on her face. "Sam?" Sam didn't say anything and Dean looked at him, "Sam! Read." Dean walked by us but Sam grabbed his arm gently and whispered, "Maybe we can still use her. Find out where the demon is."

"She doesn't know," Dean said. "Dean, she lied," I pointed out. "Guys, there's an innocent girl trapped somewhere in there. We've go to help her," Dean said, looking between us. Bobby came up to us, "You're gonna kill her."

"What?" Dean asked. "You said she fell from a building," Bobby said and looked at Meg, who was beating heavily. Then he looked back at us. "That girl's body is broken. The only thing keeping her alive is that demon inside. You exorcise it - that girl is going to die."

"Listen to me, all of you, we are not gonna leave her like that," Dean said. "She is a human being," Bobby said. "And we're gonna put her out of her misery," Dean said before looking at Sam, "Sam, finish it."

Sam looked at him, then at me and then Bobby, not sure what was the right thing to do. He looked over at Meg then back at Dean. "Finish it," Dean ordered. Sam took a breath and walked over to her.

" _Dominicos sanctae ecclesiae, terogamus audi nos, terribilis deus do sanctuario suo deus israhel. Ipse tribuite virtutem et fortitudinem plebi suae, benedictus deus, gloria patri . . ._ "

Meg started to struggle again, her eyes flashed black as she threw her head back. She screamed as she threw her head up. Black smoke escaped her mouth and spread across the circle on the ceiling before disappearing.

Meg's head dropped forward and blood started to drip from her mouth. I looked at Dean and he at me before we looked back at her. None of us knew if it was really over.

Suddenly, Meg slowly lifted her head, shoving blood from her mouth. "She's still alive," I informed. "Call 911. Get some water and blankets," Dean ordered Bobby.

He rushed off as me and my brothers untied Meg. "Thank you," She whispered. "Shh, shh. Just take it easy, alright?" I whispered.

"Come on. Let's get her down," Dean said softly. Sam and Dean lifted Meg from the chair, we could hear sound of bones crunching and Meg yelped in pain. "Sorry, sorry. I got you. I got you. It's okay. It's okay," Sam said softly. They lower her to the floor, resting her head on my lap.

"A year," Meg whispered as my fingers run through her hair gently. "What?" Sam asked. "It's been a year," She whispered.

"Shh, just take it easy," I whispered. "I've been awake for some of it. I couldn't move my own body. The things I did - it's a nightmare," She said, weakly.

"Was it telling us the truth about our Dad?" Dean asked. "Dean," Sam and I said at the same time. "We need to know," Dean said.

"Yes," Meg whispered, making us look back down at her. "But it wants . . . you to know . . . that . . . they want you to come for him."

"If Dad's still alive, none of that matters," Dean said. Bobby came in with a blanket and a glass of water. He handed the glass to me while he, Dean and Sam cover her. I gently lifted her head off my lap and placed the glass to her lips for her to drink.

She coughed slightly as I pulled it away. "Where is the demon we're looking for?" Sam asked gently as she rested her head back on my lap.

"Not there. Other ones. Awful ones," She warned. "Where are they keeping our Dad?" Dean asked. She locked her eyes on him. "By the river . . . Sunrise," She whispered, chocking out softly. With that, her eyes switched to mine and I frowned.

"'Sunrise'. What does that mean?" Dean asked but Meg didn't reply. Her eyes kept locked on me. "What does that mean?" I closed my eyes for a few seconds before opening them. "Dean," I whispered, making him to look at me so I shook my head.

 _Meg was dead._


	77. 22-2 Ride Out

"You better hurry up and beat it. Before the paramedics get here," Bobby said as we walked to the front door. "What are you gonna tell them?" I asked. "You think you guys invented lying to the cops? I'll figure something out," He replied. He hold up the Key of Solomon book to Sam, "Here take this. You might need it."

Sam took it, "Thanks," He said. "Thanks . . . for everything," Dean said. "Be careful, alright?" I told Bobby. He nodded and placed a hand on my shoulder, "You three just go find your Dad. And when you do, you bring him around, would you? I won't even try to shoot him this time." We nodded and walked out the door.

... ...

After a while, the Impala finally pulled to a stop by some train tracks in Jefferson City, Missouri. Sam was looking through the Key of Solomon book on the roof of the car, spinning a marker in his hand. Dean was at the back of the car, loading up guns and putting them into his duffel bag while I stared at him from my spot on the roof, concerned.

"You've been quiet," Sam called out, looking over at us with concern. "Both of you." He flickered through the pages of the book. "Just getting ready," Dean spoke.

"He's gonna be fine, Dean," Sam said. Dean didn't answered and Sam flipped to another page of the book. "Sam's right, you know. Nothing can kill Dad except himself," I said, smirking slightly.

I saw a small smile escaping from his lips and I looked at Sam, who smirked before looking back at the book. I looked at Sam as he frowned, looking at a symbol. He picked up the book to walk to the open trunk lid. I frowned as I watched him rubbing off the dirt and my eyes grow wide and I smirked as he started to draw on the lid.

"Oh, you so dead," I whispered, yet he heard me. He glanced at me with a smirk before going back to drawing. Dean's eyes shifted up and saw Sam, "Dude, what are you drawing on my car!?" He asked as he walked around the hood to stand beside him.

"It's called a Devil's trap. Demons can't get through it or inside it," Sam explained, not looking at him. "So?" Dean asked, sounding angry.

Sam glanced at him then he moved around the car to the other side of the hood, "It basically turns the trunk into a lockbox." Dean rubbed his finger over the chalk, it wasn't coming off.

"So?" Dean asked. "So, we have a place to hide the Colt while we go get Dad," Sam explained as he started to draw another symbol.

I frowned, "What are you talking about? We're bringing the Colt with us," I said. "Exactly," Dean agreed, pointing at me.

"We can't, guys. We've only got three bullets left. We can't just use them on any demon, we've got to use them on the demon," Sam said.

"No, we have to save Dad, Sam, okay?" Dean said, walking around. "Sam, we're gonna need all the help we can get," I added.

"Guys, you know how pissed Dad would be if we used all the bullets? He wouldn't want us to bring the gun," Sam said.

"I don't care, Sam. I don't care what Dad wants, okay? And since when do you care what Dad wants?" Dean snapped.

"We want to kill this demon. You used to want that, too. Hell, I mean, you're the one who came and got me at school!" Sam raised his voice. Dean scoffed, shaking his head. "You're the one who dragged me back into this, Dean. I'm just trying to finish it!"

Dean looked down, scoffing before looking back at Sam. "Well, you and Dad are a lot more alike than I thought, you know that? You both can't wait to sacrifice yourself for this thing. But you know what?" Dean started and then pointed at himself and then at me, "We're gonna be the once to bury you." His arm dropped.

"You're selfish, you know that? You don't care about anything but revenge," I spoke, making both my brothers to look at me but then I looked away, shaking my head as I got down from the roof.

"That's not true, Scar," Sam said softly, making Dean scoffed. "Guys, I want Dad back. But they are expecting us to bring this gun. They get the gun, they will kill us all. That Colt is our only leverage and you know it. We can not bring that gun. We can't."

"Fine," Dean agreed. "I'm serious, Dean," Sam warned. "I said fine, Sam," Dean snapped. He pulled out the Colt from his jacket pocket and hold it up to show Sam before putting it in the trunk.

We began to walk by the river in silence with Dean dragging the bag. We stepped up beside some trees and Dean stopped us all of a sudden. "Hey, hey." Sam and I looked at him, frowning. "Think I know what Meg meant by Sunrise."

We followed his gaze to see an apartment building with a sign out front that says "Sunrise Apartments". We walked forward slightly to get a better look and saw some people outside, even kids.

"Oh great," I said sarcastically. "That's pretty smart. I mean, if these demons can possess people they can possess almost anybody inside," Dean said, looking at me and Sam.

"Yeah, and make anybody attack us," Sam pointed out. "And so we can't kill them - a building full of human shields," Dean said.

"They probably know exactly what we look like, too. And they could look like anybody," I said. "Yeah, this sucks out loud," Dean agreed.

"Tell me about it. Alright, so, how the hell are we going to get in?" Sam asked as I looked at the building for a minute, thinking.

"Pull the fire alarm, get out all the civilians," I suggested. "Okay, but then the city responds in, what, seven minutes?" Sam asked. "Seven minutes exactly," Dean agreed. "So? What are we waiting for?" I asked, smirking.

Dean and I stayed outside while Sam went into the building and pull the alarm. Suddenly, the loud sound of a bell rang through the building and the people the were passing by the building stopped and stare up it.

Dean and I looked at each other and smirked before we saw Sam running across the street towards us. "Now we need to wait," I said.

After seven minutes later, the fire department arrived. Dean looked at me and Sam, "Okay, I'll go distract, you two find a why to get in," He said before he started moving towards a fireman. He started talking with the fireman and the guy started moving Dean away.

Sam and I moved behind the fireman and we went to the back end of the firetrucks. Sam looked around to make sure no one was looking as I bent down to pick the lock of the compartment.

... ...

I met my brothers inside the building after coming from the back, they were wearing the uniforms. The three of us walked down the hallway, Dean was using his EMF to check the doors of the apartments.

"I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up," Dean spoke. "You never told us that," Sam said as we looked at our older brother, frowning as we stopped at one of the doors. Suddenly, Dean's EMF started reading high and we all exchanged look.

"Move," I whispered, pushing past my brothers and then I banged on the door with my fist, "This is the fire department. We need you to evacuate," Dean shouted as I moved to the side.

Then, I heard the click of the locks on the door. It started to open but I didn't give it time before I stepped back over and raised my foot, kicking the door open.

A woman thrown backward and my brothers and I rushed inside the room. Sam and Dean spray the woman and a man with holy water from their tanks and it burned them. Dean punched the man and shoved him into a closet.

"Come on!" He said. Sam and I grabbed the woman off the table and shoved her in the closet as well. Dean and Sam both leaned against the door and it lurched as the demons inside try to get out.

I grabbed a canister of salt from the duffel bag and created a line of salt around my brothers feet. As soon as I finished it the pounding stopped and my brothers stepped away.

They took off the fireman gear and we moved to the bedroom door that was left slightly opened. We slowly opened it and we were shocked to see Dad on the bed.

"Dad?" Dean asked, rushing to his side. I went to the other side of Dad and leaned down, listening to his mouth. I sighed in relief, "He's still breathing." I glanced at Sam and he nodded his head, relieved. I looked back and saw Dean started shaking Dad, "Dad, wake up. Dad!"

Dean took out his knife and was about to cut the restraints around Dad's wrists. "Wait. Wait," Sam said. "What?" Dean asked, looking at him.

"He could be possessed for all we know," Sam said. "What, are you nuts?" Dean asked. "Dean, we got to be sure," Sam said as he started to take a flask of holy water out of the duffel bag and then he sprinkled it on Dad. It had no effect but Dad started to come around, moaning.

"Sam? Why are you splashing water on me?" Dad asked. I smiled, "Dad, are you okay?" I asked. "They've been drugging me. Where's the Colt?" Dad asked.

"Don't worry, Dad, it's safe," Sam replied as Dean started to cut away his restraints. "Good kids. Good kids," Dad said quietly.

My brothers grabbed Dad and pulled him up, his arms slung over their shoulders. I led the way, moving out of the bedroom when suddenly, the front door was kicked opened. A man and a fireman walked in.

"Go! Go!" I said, pushing Sam and Dean back. "Back! Back!" Dean said as we rushed back into the bedroom and closed the door, locking it and then an axe suddenly came through the door.

Sam ran a line of salt at the bedroom door as I helped Dean get Dad out on the fire escape. I moved down the stairs with Dad. "Sam, let's go!" Dean called before following out on the fire escape.

I jumped down the ladder first, reaching back up to help Dad. He wrapped his arms around my neck and Dean's as we started walking down the back alley with Sam walking ahead of us.

Suddenly, a figure jumped out and tackled Sam to the floor, beating him. "Take Dad back to the car," Dean said to me before letting me take Dad and he ran to our brother side.

"Dean!" I called. "Damn." I hold Dad tightly as we moved away. Suddenly, I heard a crush and I turned around slightly with Dad, seeing Dean was thrown onto a parked car, shattering the windshild, and the man went back to beating Sam.

I helped Dad down so he was leaning against the wall. "Scar, be careful," He said and I nodded before running over.

I frowned when I saw the Colt on the ground, but before I knew it, I grabbed it and climbed of on the roof of the car that Dean was on.

I pointed the Colt at the man and shoot. The bullet went through the man's head. He dropped dead to the floor and Dean looked up at me.

I slowly lowered the Colt and Dean and I ran to Sam. "Sam!" Dean said as he helped him up, "Sam, come on! Come on!" Dean and I pulled Sam onto his feet and we looked at the dead man. The demon was dead and so was the man it was possessing.

"Come on. We got to get out of here," Dean said, pushing me and Sam to Dad and my brothers picked him up. I glanced back at the dead man before leaving the area in a hurry with my Dad and brothers.


	78. 22-3 Blood, Sweat and Tears

Night had fallen by the time Dean got us to the cabin and we got Dad inside, Sam was bloody and bruised but other why he was okay. Dean and I led Dad to a room and laid him down, rest was the only thing we could think of until the drugs wore off.

We walked back to Sam to see he was pouring salt along the window sill. He looked at us and then back to finish the job, "How is he?" He asked. "He just needed a little rest, that's all," Dean replied, "How are you?"

Sam finished, "I'll survive." Then he turned around to us, "Hey, you don't think we were followed here, do you?" I shrugged, "Don't know."

"I don't think so. I mean, we couldn't have found a more out-of-the-way place to hole up," Dean said. "Yeah," Sam agreed and looked at me for a moment, "Hey, uh . . . Scar." I looked at him. "You, um . . . you saved my life back there."

I nodded and Dean looked at me before back at Sam, "So, I guess you're glad I brought the gun, huh?" He said with a small smirk.

"Man, I'm trying to thank our sister here," Sam said, but he had a small smile. I smiled slightly at both my brothers and glanced at Sam, "You're welcome," I said and Sam gave a small nod.

I sighed as Sam walked across the room. "Hey, guys?" I started, making my brothers to look at me. "Yeah?" Dean asked.

"You know that guy I shot? There was a person in there," I said, looking at the floor. "You didn't have a choice, Scar," Sam said softly.

"Yeah, I know. But . . . That's not what bothers me," I admitted. "Then what does?" Sam asked as he sat beside me and Dean sat on my other side.

I shook my head, "Killing that guy . . . I just . . . I didn't hesitate, I didn't even flinch. For you two or Dad, the things I'm willing to do or kill, it's just, uh . . . it scares me sometimes," I admitted, felling their eyes on each side oh me, staring at me but I didn't look at them.

"It shouldn't." We looked up to see Dad walking in, looking right at me. He nodded, "You did good." I frowned slightly, "You're not mad?" I asked. "For what?" He asked. "Using a bullet," I said, nervously.

"Mad? No, I'm proud of you," Dad said, making me confused but I didn't show it. He smiled slightly. "So no, I'm not angry at you, baby girl. I'm always proud," He said softly.

"Thanks," I said. Suddenly, the wind picked up as the lights started to flicker as we all looked up at the lights before moving to the window and Dad looked out of it before back to us, "It found us. It's here."

"The demon?" Sam asked. "Sam, lines of salt in front of every window, every door," Dad ordered. "I already did it," Sam conformed. "Well, check it, okay?" Dad said. "Okay," Sam said and rushed out of the room.

"Dean, you got the gun?" Dad asked. "I got it," I said. "Okay, give it to me," Dad said, holding his hand out. "Dad, Sam tried to shoot the demon in Salvation. It disappeared," Dean pointed out as I pulled the Colt out of my jeans. "This is me. I won't miss," Dad said and looked at me. "Now, the gun, hurry."

I glanced at Dad, frowning before back at the gun that was in my hands. I didn't knew why . . . But I had a bad felling about it. I glanced at Dean and met his eyes, we both thought the same thing.

"Scar, please," Dad said but Dean pulled me with him a few steps backwards. "Give me the gun. What are you guys doing?" Dad asked. "He'd be furious," Dean said. "What?" Dad asked, frowning.

"That I wasted a bullet. He wouldn't be proud of me, he'd scold me," I stated as I handed the Colt to Dean. Dad stared at us as Dean raised the gun, pointing it at him and cocking it. "You're not our Dad," Dean said.

"Dean, Scar, it's me," 'Dad' said. "We know our Dad better than anyone. And you ain't him," I said. "What the hell's gotten into you?" 'Dad' asked. "I could ask you the same thing. Stay back," Dean said.

Sam came into the room and looked shocked, "Dean? What the hell's going on?" He asked. "Your brother and sister lost their minds," 'Dad' asked. "Sam, he's not Dad," I said.

"What?" Sam asked. "I think he's possessed. I think he's been possessed since we rescued him," Dean said. "Don't listen to him, Sammy," 'Dad' said. "Dean, how do you know?" Sam asked. "He's . . . he's different," Dean said.

"You know, we don't have time for this. Sam, you wanna kill this demon, you've gotta trust me," 'Dad' said. Sam looked back and forth between us. "Sam?" 'Dad' asked. Sam shook his head slightly, "No. No." He moved over to stand by my side.

Dad looked at each of us, his eyes tearing up, "Fine. You're both so sure, go ahead. Kill me," He said quietly. He started at us for a moment before hanging his head down.

I looked at Dean, who was close to tears, still holding the gun on him but he couldn't pull the trigger. "I thought so," Dad said. Then he lifted his head, a small smirk on his face and his eyes a bright yellow.

My eyes grow wide as Sam lunged forward but then we were thrown across the room and pinned to the wall by a mysterious force. I noticed that Dean had dropped the Colt as he was thrown.

The demon made his way across the floor and picked up the Colt, examining it, "What a pain in the ass this thing's been," It said and looked at Sam.

"It's you, isn't it? We've been looking for you for a long time," Sam said through clenched teeth. "Well, you found me," The demon said.

"But the holy water?" I said. "You think something like that works on something like me?" It asked. Sam tried to fight the force that had him pinned to the wall, but failed. "I'm gonna kill you!"

"Oh, that'd be a neat trick. In fact," The demon started and put the gun down on the table, "Here. Make the gun float to you there, psychic boy."

Sam looked at the gun, but nothing happened. The demon chuckled slightly and started walking to the window between Dean and me, "Well, this is fun. I could've killed you a hundred times today, but this . . ." It sighed. "This is worth the wait."

Dean struggled, but was still pinned to the wall. The demon looked at him, "Your Dad - he's in here with me. Trapped inside his own meat suit. He says 'hi', by the way."

"Let him go, or I swear to God -" It cut Dean off, "What? What are you and God gonna do? You see, as far as I'm concerned, this is justice." It walked over to him, "You know that little exorcism of yours? That was my daughter."

"Who, Meg?" Dean asked. "The one in the alley? That was my boy. You understand," It said. "You've got to be kidding me," Dean said.

"What? You're the only one that can have a family? You destroyed my children. How would you feel if I killed your family?" It asked and Dean stayed silent. It smiled, "Oh, that's right. I forgot. I did. Still, two wrongs don't make a right."

"You son of a bitch," Dean growled. "I wanna know why. Why'd you do it?" Sam asked. The demon turned to Sam, "You mean why did I kill Mommy and pretty, little Jess?"

"Yeah," Sam spat. The demon looked between me and Dean, "You know, I never told you this, but Sam was going to ask her to marry him." It backed up toward Sam, "Been shopping for rings and everything." It turned to Sam, "You want to know why? Because they got in the way."

"In the way of what?" I spoke up and the demon looked at me. "My plans for Sammy." He looked at Sam, "You . . . and all the children like you."

"Listen, you mind just getting this over with, huh? Cause I really can't stand the monologuing," Dean complained. The demon turned around and walked towards him, "Funny, but that's all part of your M.O., isn't it? Masks all that nasty pain, masks the truth."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" Dean asked. "You know, you fight and you fight for this family, but the truth is they don't need you. Not like you need them. Scarlett - you rely on your baby sister so much but she is strong without you and she could leave any time she want to. She doesn't need her big brothers. Sam - he's clearly John's favorite. Even when they fight, it's more concern than he's ever shown you."

"Well, I bet you're real proud of your kids, too, huh?" Dean said and smirked, "Oh wait, I forgot. I wasted 'em." It smiled at him before smiling at me and then looking back at Dean, "You know Dean . . ." It started and sighed. "I just thought about making you yell in pain, but . . ." It smirked, "I have something better that will make you and Sammy suffer."

The demon looked at me and suddenly I yelled in pain, felling my inside starting to pushing themself out of my body. "Scarlett! No!" Sam yelled. "Scarlett!" Dean yelled. I couldn't breath and I glanced down at my shirt to see blood.

"STOP!" Dean yelled and the demon suddenly stopped. I felt my inside stopped moving but my breath was hard. I couldn't breath. I couldn't. The demon looked at Dean, "Is that painful enough?" It asked and then looked at Sam. "Mmm?"

My eyes started to shut but I tried to make them stay open. The demon looked at me, "I'll take that as a no. Should we keep going?" It asked. "No!" Sam yelled but suddenly the pain came back and I screamed. "NO, stop!" Dean yelled but it didn't work this time.

"Dad!" Dean yelled. "Dad," I whispered, blood ran out of my mouth. Suddenly the demon stopped and looked away, "Stop," It whispered. I didn't try to breath, it hurt to much. Every breath I took, just made me yelp in pain.

I saw Sam was let go. "Stop it," Dad whispered. He was fighting against the demon inside of him. "Dad," I whispered, trying to make my eyes to stay open. I saw Sam beside the table and he grabbed the Colt.

Dad turned to him, eyes yellow once again, and Sam aimed the gun at him. "You kill me, you kill Daddy," It said, smirking slightly. "I know," Sam said and then he fired the gun, shooting the demon in the leg. It fall down and so did Dean and me. I yelp in pain again as I hit the floor.

Sam and Dean rushed towards me and kneeled down at each of my sides. "Scar?" Dean called me as he placed my head on his lap. "Scarlett, hey?" Sam called and I focused my eyes on them. "Oh God, you've lost a lot of blood."

"Dad, where's Dad?" I whispered. "He's right here. He's right here, shorty," Dean said and looked at Sam, "Go check on him." Sam got up and walked towards Dad. "Dad? Dad?" I heard Sam. I looked from my spot and saw Dad suddenly looked up at Sam, "Sammy! It's still alive. It's inside me, I can feel it. You shoot me. You shoot me! You shoot me in the heart, son!" Sam aimed the gun at Dad, "Do it now!"

"Sam, don't you do it. Don't you do it," Dean said. Sam looked at him and then back at Dad. "You've gotta hurry! I can't hold onto it much longer! You shoot me, son! Shoot me! Son, I'm begging you! We can end this here and now! Sammy!"

"Sam, no," I whispered, making Sam to look back at me and Dean. His eyes locked with mine and I shook my head weakly. "You do this!" Dad said and Sam looked back at him. "Sammy! Sam -" The demon suddenly left Dad in a black cloud from his mouth and it disappeared through the floor.

Dad glared at Sam but then shook his head. I sighed in relief but stopped when I felt slightly the pain again. My eyes started to close but I opened them slightly when I felt Dean's hand on my chin, making me look at him, "Hey, Scar, stay with me, got it?"

That caught Dad and Sam's attention, Sam rushed over to us again. "We'll get you to the hospital," Dean said and Sam bend down, picking me up in a bridal style and I yelp in pain. "Shh," Sam whispered.

... ...

I was at the backseat with Dean, while Sam was driving and Dad was at the passenger seat. Dad gasped in pain, I was berating hard and tried my best to stay awake as Dean told me to.

"Just hold on, alright. The hospital's only ten minutes away," Sam said. "I'm surprised at you, Sammy. Why didn't you kill it? I thought we saw eye-to-eye on this? Killing this demon comes first - before me, before everything," Dad spoke.

I looked at Sam and saw he was looking at me and Dean in the rear view mirror and then looked back at the road, "No, sir. Not before everything. Look, we've still got the Colt. We still have the one bullet left. We just have to start over, alright? I mean, we already found the demon -"

Then, everything when dark as I heard a slam.


	79. SEQUEL

**Hey guys! There you go the SEQUEL!**

 **Life's On Balance [Sequel to The Family Business]**


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